Cousins, Book 3: Familiar Faces
by KieraPSI
Summary: Continued from Reclamation: As they are all on the run from the Council, the Co-existence Faction is sharing Lewis' secret facility. Tom's memory blocks still need to be removed; can they trust the familiar face volunteering to do the job? Sexual situations & graphic violence. See author profile for disclaimers.
1. Chapter 1

Keri bounced down the main staircase of the small mansion. She was in a good mood. Lewis was healthy and happy, her new friends were healthy and happy, and…she stopped short in the stairwell of the second floor. Her grandfather was dead and her cousin was in custody for his murder. She sighed and dropped down to sit on the top step, hugging the wall. Taking several deep breaths, she forced herself to push the grief aside. Her grandfather was gone. Whether he had deserved his end or not, dwelling on it wasn't going to change anything. Dani, on the other hand, more than deserved being jailed for her crimes. Keri would just have to help make sure she didn't weasel her way out of it. Sharp footsteps echoed down the stairs; a moment later Mark came into view. "Is Anja up there?" Keri asked, thinking some nesting with her surrogate birth sibling would be a very good thing right now.

"No. If you don't see her on the grounds, check her quarters," Mark snapped without stopping.

"_Her_ quarters?" Keri stared at Mark's stiff back. "Hey! What did you do?" She got up and followed him down the stairs then stopped short as he slammed the study door in her face. "Oh shit. What did you do?"

Mark locked the door behind him and stalked over to his desk. He dropped down into the chair and buried his face in his hands. Not only would he have to watch Anja keep company with another, he would have to deal with her surrogate sib every day. Groaning, he struggled to pull together his self-control. This would not do. He was section leader; he had to…The door rattled as someone tried to open it. "Mark?" Jeffrey's voice called. Mark stood, went and opened the door, then silently returned to his seat. Jeffrey entered and stared at him.

"Did you want something, Jeffrey?" Mark asked after several minutes passed.

"Ah, yes. Our people up north stepped in to liberate a team where the council refused, citing treason. They've freed a number of soldiers being held by the humans in Fort Lewis. Naturally the soldiers are…grateful."

"Naturally."

"We've had one of our truth finders talk to them, and a few have already been passed to join us."

"How many?"

"Three, their commander and two common soldiers. The soldiers have been assigned posts; you'll find the additions to the personnel roster already made. I've got the commander on his way here to meet with you."

"Fine." Mark stared at the disk that Jeffrey had handed him, his mind vaguely noting that Jeffrey was still talking.

"Mark, what's wrong? Mark!"

He blinked. "What?"

Jeffrey frowned at him. "Damn it, Mark. What's wrong with you? We've got an opportunity here, are we going to take advantage of it, or not?"

"What opportunity?"

"The commander from the Alaska facility. The codes he had have no doubt been changed, but he knows the content to search for. Our hackers will be able to take it from there."

Mark's eyes narrowed. "That's excellent news." He moved to insert the disk in the CPU. It was time to get back to work.

... ...

Sloan sighed as she looked out over the manicured lawn. The view was beautiful. The trees and bushes were artfully placed and the colors carefully orchestrated. More of Lewis' work, Tom had told her. She shook her head, amazed at the depths of the man. While she understood that many of his more reprehensible actions were tied to the trauma he'd suffered, Lewis was still one of the most coldly vicious men she'd ever met, and yet…

Tom glided into the room…yes, glided was the word for it. Now that he was no longer hiding his abilities it was easy to remember that he wasn't human. Or rather, that he wasn't Homo sapiens-sapiens. He and Lewis, oh, and Alexa, were just different. It didn't make sense to her. Their training as chameleons was supposed to allow them to blend in, to be anything or anyone. Yet they stood out as different even among their fellow Homo sapiens-dominants. Except, she remembered, when they were trying to 'blend in'. Then they effortlessly became their cover, as Tom had become an FBI agent and Lewis a psychologist. The police and media personnel had bought their stories without question. And so had she…until she'd found that other Tom Daniels.

"Sloan, are you okay?" Tom asked as he took her in his arms.

She smiled. "Fine." Leaning back into his embrace, she brushed her cheek against his. "Did you have a good workout?"

Tom grinned. He was doing a lot of that these days. "Great. I out-lifted Lewis for a change. Managed to do fifteen more reps at the same weight."

Sloan chuckled. Tom was so proud of himself; it was cute. She decided to tease him. "Well, he is like fourteen years older than you are. I should hope you could out lift him."

"You don't understand, Sloan. Lewis drives himself like a demon. I've never been able to best him at anything. Not ever." He frowned thoughtfully. "Maybe he still hasn't fully recovered from his incarceration or the reclamations."

"Doesn't matter," Sloan said firmly. "You did great."

"Yes, I did." Sloan chuckled again at his smug tone, and then sighed as he kissed her. "Lewis said he was able to reach someone this morning that can help with the last of the memory blocks," Tom murmured against her lips. "They've agreed to be met and brought out here to work with us."

"Tom, that's wonderful!"

"Yes." His smile faded. "If it works. Sloan, maybe I should just forget about it…uh, no pun intended. I…I've been happy here. Being with you, being safe, well, more or less safe. What if I remember something that drives us apart?"

"Look at everything Lewis remembered. It pulled him and Keri closer together." God, Sloan thought. I can't believe I'm saying something positive about Lewis.

"True. And maybe we can bond."

"Tom, don't get your hopes up. You know what Dr. Richard…uh, Carla said. It's rare, _very_ rare, even between two of _your_ people. And remember, I don't have PSI gifts, well, not like Keri does."

He nodded. "I know. It's just…I love you, Sloan. And I want the best of everything for you. A mating bond is, well, the best thing there is for a relationship."

Sloan smiled, "Okay. I believe you. But that doesn't mean we won't be happy without one." She kissed him, softly at first, and then slid her tongue between his lips as they parted. His arms tightened around her and he fiercely returned the kiss. She moaned and ground her hips as his hand cupped her derrière and pressed her against his erection. He suddenly pulled away and she whimpered at the loss.

"Slo-oan," he ground out plaintively. "We _can't_."

"I'm sorry." Sloan tried to act contrite. From his expression he was not buying it. "I just get carried away…you are a _very_ sexy package, Tom Daniels."

He shook his head. "Just you wait, Dr. Parker."

"Oh, I am, I am," she mock-groaned.

... ...

Alexa frowned at the two barely dressed sapiens lying on the blanket in the middle of the lawn. Why Dr. Tate spent so much time with that biker child was beyond her understanding. She found herself stalking down the walkway between the buildings and pulled up short. Why did she care what a sapiens did? Alexa shook herself mentally and continued on to the main house. She looked over her shoulder as Amy turned on the blanket. The bikini top barely contained the girl's full breasts. Alexa gritted her teeth and shoved the screen door open with possibly a bit more force than was necessary…

"Whoa, Alexa! Take it easy!" Jeffrey told her as he barely avoided colliding with the door.

"Sorry."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Jeffrey frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. She recognized the look he was giving her and knew she needed to come up with an explanation and quickly, or he would become intrusive. His intense training to interact on an intimate level with sapiens made it difficult for him to keep a proper and respectful distance with his own kind. "The number of sapiens in the complex is difficult for me to deal with. It's different when I've prepped for a mission. This is…unexpected and therefore uncomfortable," she told him.

"I see." The former breeder operative raised an eyebrow.

"I am…working on it."

"Of course."

Alexa sighed. He obviously did not accept her explanation, but the irritating man was not going to say so. Fine. It was time to change the subject. "Did you inform Mark of our expected guest?"

"Yes. He seemed pleased."

"He should be. This will also solve our problem with our contingent of soldiers. They haven't really accepted my leadership. They obey, but it's obvious that they miss the guidance and camaraderie they had with Stephen."

"Do you think Hunter will be able to replace him satisfactorily?"

"He and Stephen trained together, or so James has said. I think it will work out well."

"We should give him Stephen's quarters then. I'll have Erik see to it." Alexa nodded her agreement and stepped past Jeffrey, heading for the kitchen. "Alexa, I haven't been distracted," he called after her. "I _will _figure it out eventually, you know."

Damn it, Alexa fumed. Ah well, perhaps if he figured it out, he could explain it to her.

... ...

Caryn frowned at the latest DNA readings. The retrovirus that Ed had described which could change sapiens DNA to dominant was radically different than anything she'd ever heard of. But then, genetics was not her strong point. She switched screens to the comparative EEG study results. This was more like it. A comparison page showed scans of twenty different brains, some of them Homo sapiens-dominant, others of the Homo sapiens-sapiens residents of their facility. Without exception, the color renditions of the electrical activity in the brains of the dominants showed that it reached astounding levels. The scans of the sapiens brains, however, were not uniformly dimmer as she would have expected.

Typing quickly she ordered the program to hide the scans that showed levels typical of the sapiens brain. The remaining scans were reordered and displayed. "Well, would ya look at tha-at," she muttered, her accent thickening with her agitation. All of the scans now displayed, including those of three people whose DNA registered as Homo sapiens-sapiens, showed activity well within the normal range they had established for Homo sapiens-dominant.

"What am I looking at, my rose?" Jeff purred in her ear.

She jumped, clutching a hand to her heart. "Je-eff! Dayum, you scared me."

He chuckled and nuzzled her cheek. "I'm sorry. I thought you'd heard me come in. I wasn't exactly quiet about it."

Caryn turned to look at him, her expression was, no doubt, rueful. "Well, ah guess ah was concentratin' a bit too hard."

"What's wrong, Caryn?" he said and then laughed. "Sorry, I seem to be saying that a lot this morning."

"It's okay. What makes you think somethin's wrong?"

"I can plainly hear West Texas in your voice, dear lady."

"Ah." She shook her head. "I've got to watch that," she enunciated clearly. "Too much of a barometer…don't want to make it too easy for you, we're supposed to keep you men guessing."

Jeff started laughing again and caught her hands in his. "Please, give me a break. Don't you think the species differential is enough of a handicap for me without throwing in the Mars-Venus thing?"

She smiled as he kissed her fingertips. "I suppose." His lips moved to her palm and she gasped. "Jeff, stop that. What if someone comes in?"

He sighed. "All right. I know you prefer privacy for romance, yes? But you have to promise me some private time later."

"After dinner tonight I'm all yours."

"Really?"

Caryn flushed. "Well, within reason."

"Damn, I knew that was too easy."

Laughing, she pushed him towards the door. "Get on out of here, you. I've got work to do and you're way too good a distraction."

... ...

Lewis sat cross-legged on the hood of the Mercedes sedan, nodding and suppressing a smile as Anja continued lecturing him on the finer points of high-performance engines. He'd built performance engines for a racing team some fifteen years ago while on assignment, but the girl was clearly passionate about her subject, and was actually proving to be a fine teacher.

She finally wound down, and then flushed as she caught the indulgent look in his eyes. "Hmm, you know about this already, ja?" she asked.

He grinned and slid off of the car. "Yes, but you explained it very well. I am impressed with your knowledge."

"Thank you," she said with an odd dignity. "So, asking about my car was icebreaker, no?" She continued at his nod. "What did you want to see me about, then?"

"How is your physical therapy going?"

"You've had reports."

"True, but I want your opinion. You know better than anyone how quickly you can bounce back from a devastating injury."

Anja pursed her lips in a mutinous expression. "This was not devastating," she said with a dismissive tone.

"I'm glad to hear it. When do you think you'll be at one hundred percent?"

"Soon. I have to be. When I was hurt, I called in to the council and told them I'd had accident on my bike. They expect me back in a few days."

Lewis frowned and leaned back against the car. "Mark still needs you for undercover work then."

"Of course. The data I intercept is vital to the coexistence effort."

"Of course," he echoed thoughtfully.

"What?"

"Hmm? Oh, I'd hoped to have time to give you some training. Now that Keridwen is reasonably safe from her family and her government she will want to leave the grounds and she'll need someone trained as a bodyguard to accompany her."

"And you would give me what training? I can fight and shoot already. Couriers are trained like soldiers for that, and then some."

"Keridwen is important to me. I consider the training level of a soldier or even a courier, inadequate for her protection. The training I had in mind is generally reserved for chameleons."

"I could be chameleon?!"

Lewis' lips twitched at her excitement. "No. That takes many years of training and methods to which I am certain you would be opposed. But you would be much more than you are now; certainly much more than any soldier or courier could be."

Anja nodded. "I would like that. Is it okay with Mark?"

"Yes, so long as it doesn't interfere with your council tasks. He did promise me assistance with Keridwen's security."

"And this training would give me more skill for faction, too!"

"Yes, it would." Lewis let the smile show this time.

... ...

The roar of Harley engines split the tranquility of the afternoon. "What the hell?" Amy muttered and sat up.

Ed glanced over and grinned appreciatively as her breasts were revealed. "Uh, Amy? You might want to fasten your top before you go anywhere," he told her as she started to get to her feet.

"What? Damn." Amy flushed slightly and pulled the straps of her halter style bikini top back up around her neck and tied them. "Enjoying the show?" she asked.

"Definitely," he told her, ducking as she threw her water bottle at him. "Hey, you asked!"

Amy muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'men are all alike' and stomped off. He scrambled to follow her. He'd barely caught up when the bikers came around from the garage and stopped on the main driveway. Amy ran up to Bear. She looked pissed and Ed was grateful that he wasn't going to be on the receiving end of her anger. "What's going on, Bear? Nobody told me we were moving out."

"_We_ ain't darlin'. Yer stayin' here. Lewis is gonna see ya get yerself educated, like."

"What are you talking about? I'm fine. I don't need no college or nothing."

"Amy-girl, ya ain't gonna be like yer ole man!" Bear sighed. "Look, ya like these here folks, dontcha?"

"Yeah…"

"Specially some a them fellas, yeah?"

"Aw, Daddy, what's that got to do with anything?" Amy folded her arms across her chest. Uh oh, Ed thought. This could get ugly…Amy was damn near as stubborn as Sloan was.

"Shi-it, girl. Ya don' belong on th' road. Yer gonna get yerself knocked up or kilt."

"I've been doing just fine!" Her face was sheet white with a bright red spot on each cheek. Ed took a step back…he'd seen Amy explode at one of the bikers the other day, stepping back did _not_ mean he was a coward, nope, not at all.

Bear looked her up and down and shook his head. "Fine, mah ass. Ah ain't gonna argue witcha Amy. We's already discussed it," he said, indicating the other bikers. "Yer stayin', that's final."

Renee leaned out from behind Bear. "Amy, your daddy loves ya honey. Can ya at least try it? If it don't work out, you can go to my folks' place."

Amy still looked mutinous, but the red was fading from her cheeks. Ed sighed with relief. "I guess," she told them. "You know, you could have asked me."

Bear grumbled "An' ya woulda said no."

"Probably." Amy threw her arms around Bear's neck. "I'm gonna miss you."

"Ah'm gonna miss ya too, Amy girl. Now ya better behave, ya know or Lewis'll toss ya out on yer ass."

"Nah, he wouldn't do that. He's too cool." Ed choked at Amy's casual praise of the man he still couldn't get over seeing as an enemy. She turned to him. "Hey, he is, you know."

"I'm not going to touch that one with a ten foot pole," Ed told her, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

... ...

Lewis turned to look out of the kitchen window as he heard the Harleys roar down the driveway. Finally, there would be something approaching order on his property. He turned and almost dropped his mug of coffee. Bets was standing there with a forlorn but determined look. His eyebrow rose. "Do you need something before you leave?" he asked.

Bets frowned at him. "I'm not leaving. Mark said it was okay if I stayed for a while."

His other eyebrow rose. "Did he?"

"Yeah. I just couldn't go back out…not without Kurt." She shrugged. "I only rode 'cause of him, you know."

"I see." Lewis pushed down his annoyance. While he owed the woman for her loss, he did not appreciate being manipulated.

"Mark said I should ask you if there's anything you want me to do around here."

"Mark is responsible for the maintenance of the property."

"Yeah, well, he thought maybe I could do things for Keri…well, for you, for Keri."

"Keridwen is quite self-sufficient."

"He thought maybe she might be lonely."

Mark, Lewis decided, was thinking far too much, and about things that did not concern him. "Keridwen has me, and she has Anja. She needs no one else."

"No? The scientists are always busy. Amy's still a teenager. Don't you think maybe she'd like a human…ah, sapiens friend closer to her own age?"

"From what I understand of it," Lewis said coldly. "Friends are made, not assigned."

Bets' chin rose. "Don't get all high an' mighty with me, hon, I'm already her friend. I guess I'm just asking 'cause of that bond thing. Don't want you thinking I'm trying to come between you and your _mate_."

Lewis frowned at the mixture of grief, outrage, pride, concern, and caring that was rolling off of the sapiens woman. She wasn't trying to manipulate him, to get something out of him. She really did want to be there for Keridwen, and she truly couldn't face going back on the road without her lover. "Very well. Keridwen is setting up genetic records and PSI testing protocols for the lab team. Perhaps you can assist her with that." He tilted his head, considering. "I imagine she would enjoy the company."

... ...

Smiling, Walter Attwood looked over the organized chaos of their new lab. They now had two M.D.'s working on their research full time and Carla Richard planned to stop by every other week to look over Ed Tate and David Bowman's results and determine if there was anything they were missing from the Dominant point of view.

Their Ph.D. researchers were also top-notch. Caryn Townsend was well known in the field of Behavioral Neuroscience. They'd had to put out a story of them accepting jobs in the private sector to cover her and David's disappearance from the government lab. Sloan was light years beyond what she should be capable of in her field. Besides her Bioanthropology expertise she had learned a great deal from Ed in Applied Genetics and Immunology.

And then there was Keri Ashton. She rarely joined the others in the lab, demurring with the comment that she was 'not a scientist', in spite of her Ph.D. in Parapsychology and her separate Masters in Genetics. But when she did show up, things happened…like Sloan, she had an uncanny ability to ask the right questions to inspire the others to find new answers in the most unexpected of places.

It was a hell of a team, he decided. They certainly wouldn't miss his contributions while he was gone.

"Walter, you ready to go?" Ray Peterson asked. "Goodbyes all said?"

"Yes. Didn't you notice Sloan giving me _the look_?"

"Oh, is _that_ what that's all about? I got lucky. She accepted my excuse of needing to see Grace and Matt."

Walter favored Ray with a sour look. "Yes, lucky you." He sobered as he felt Ray's worry. "I'm sure they're fine, Ray. As soon as we check out the neighborhood, we'll pick them up."

"They aren't answering the phone, Walter. What if it's already too late?"

Suppressing his own misgivings, he clapped Ray on the shoulder reassuringly. "Everything will be fine. Now let's go find the soldiers Mark is lending us and get moving."

"Oh, yeah." The former police detective wrinkled his nose. "James and Bonnie already have the car out front."

"Allies, Ray. Think allies."

"I'm trying. God knows, I'm trying."


	2. Chapter 2

Anja hung up the pay phone and frowned, staring off into the glare of the morning sun. She had an assignment for the council. Tomorrow she would ride to San Diego to pick up classified documents and a packet of lab samples of some kind to deliver to the council's main offices in Sacramento. If they couldn't be copied or sampled in some way, the faction could easily have someone meet her at the halfway mark to examine the items while she took a sleep break. That way, she wouldn't even lose any time! Limping quickly back to her Firehawk, she climbed in and roared off, thinking. For the first time since she had joined the faction, she was nervous about her dual role. Of course, this was the first time she'd done things for the faction that might have gotten her noticed. It was altogether possible that the council had spies watching the human facility they had raided.

She tapped on the steering wheel to the beat of the Eminem tune playing on her CD player. Fresno was too backwards to have what she would consider a decent radio station, in spite of the big college campus. It would have been cool if Lewis had time to start giving her the training he'd promised before she had to report back to the council. Anja grinned. She was going to get some chameleon training! The chameleon program hadn't been available to her in Europe…but she'd dreamed of being assigned there from the first day she'd heard of it. Oh, not because she particularly wanted to be a chameleon, but because of Lewis. Or, rather, because of the results he was famous for.

His students were _the_ best strategists and warriors, bar none. Even those that he trained for other programs became the best of the best. She snorted, wondering what had happened with Tom Daniels, who was supposed to be Lewis' greatest student…but now was known as his greatest failure. Had he been soft on Tom because he was his cousin? Nah, couldn't be that. Lewis, soft? Well, maybe with her sib.

... ...

"Lewis?" Keridwen said softly in his left ear.

"Hmm?" He shifted so that he could look over his shoulder at her where she was snuggled in against his back in the oversized bed.

"I need to go back east."

"Of course. The reading of your grandfather's will is in three weeks. We'll be there for it."

"Well, yes. But I need to go to my bank; and a lot sooner than three weeks."

"Why?" He pulled away and turned completely over and took her into his arms.

She made a rather impudent face, rolling her eyes and sticking out her lower lip a bit. "I cut up all of my cards, remember? I don't have any access to any of my accounts and I'm going to have to prove I'm me by going there in person. I tried taking care of it yesterday on that secure phone you gave me, but they said because of the kidnapping reports it couldn't be done long distance."

"This is about money?"

"Of course it's about money. I need to get my hair cut and colored, my nails done…and I'm dying for a pedicure. I'd really like to get some clothes too…and I'm having a…a…jewelry buying urge," she admitted.

Lewis chuckled. "Cherished, you don't need to worry about money. I gave you access to my accounts, remember?"

She squirmed in his embrace and rubbed her cheek against his. "But I want my _own_ money. What if I want to buy something very expensive…you know or something silly, or something that you wouldn't think worthwhile, or approve of?"

"Keridwen, my money is your money. Spend it as you will."

"Are you sure?" she asked doubtfully.

"You are my mate. I want you to have everything that you desire."

"Hmm. Mostly I desire you."

He chuckled. "I'm glad to hear it." He kissed her forehead. "Don't neglect to eat breakfast, hmm?"

She sighed and then raised herself up on one elbow to look over his shoulder. "Guess I'd better hurry, then. It's getting pretty close to lunchtime."

... ...

Ed stood up and stepped away from the work counter to stretch. The compound microscopes they had were the top of the line, but they just weren't good enough for their purposes. He really missed the university lab equipment, not to mention the government equipment Walter had brought in. "Work with it, Tate," he muttered to himself. "Don't act like a spoiled candy-ass."

"A what?"

He spun around. "Oh, hi, Keri." He fought back a flush. "I, ah, was trying to remind myself that our equipment was good and I should just work with it."

"Good, huh? But not good enough?"

"Well, not for where we're trying to go, no."

Keri nodded. "So what do you need?"

"Wish list?"

"Yeah."

"A scanning transmission electron microscope with x-ray, camera, and computer attachments would be nice. Oh, and as long as we're wishing here, how about some more advanced imaging equipment? An MRI, maybe the stand up version. Better to see what's going on when the subject is in a weight-bearing state."

"Okay, write down the specs for what you need."

"You got a couple million bucks just laying around?" he laughed.

She chuckled in return. "As a matter of fact, yes."

"Right…forgot about that Ashton money." Keri frowned and Ed mentally kicked himself. This wasn't a good time to remind her of her family, even indirectly. Smooth, Tate, he thought. Real smooth.

"Well…actually, I can't get at _my_ money right now," Keri said, for some reason sounding annoyed instead of sad like he had expected. "But the Ryan money is another story."

"The what?"

"Never mind. Just get me a list of everything you guys need. I'll get as much as I can."

"We gave a list to Mark. He said the faction had a cash flow problem at the moment."

"Well, let's not involve Mark directly. I don't want anyone trying to tell me that I shouldn't be doing this. Okay?"

Ed shrugged. "Okay. I'll get you the list ASAP."

"Great! Hey, where is everyone?"

"Sloan is having a picnic with Tom out on the back lawn, David went for a walk, and Caryn went out to lunch with Jeff."

"Oh really? Caryn and Jeff, hmm. Oh, I think Caryn and I are due for some serious girl talk," Keri said with a smirk.

He shook his head and chuckled as the woman wandered out. Somehow, he didn't think that boded well for Jeff. Should he warn him? Nah. "Heh, this'll be a good chance to find out if Homo sapiens-dominant men have as much trouble with women as us Homo sapiens-sapiens." Ed grinned as he sat back down on the stool…then his grin faded. "They couldn't possibly," he muttered, leaning his elbows on the work surface and his chin in his hands. Amy was a beautiful kid. Smart, too. She was brilliant, even, just undereducated. But she was still a kid. Another image intruded on his thoughts of Amy's perfect body. The other woman was taller, more mature, and a hell of a lot more dangerous than Amy. "Forget it," he groaned, trying to shut out the vision of the chameleon with the caramel colored hair. "Alexa hardly knows I exist. Besides, _Lewis_ is her father. Jeez. That would be just what I need, Lewis on my case for messing with his daughter."

... ...

"Welcome to Fresno, sir," Erik said to the tall, blatantly muscular black man who stepped out of the car. "I'm Erik, acting third."

"Thank you, third. Where is your section leader?"

Erik was wondering that himself. Mark hadn't set foot out of his office since Anja had returned from making her contact with the council. "We're a bit shorthanded, sir. The section leader has been working on allying with the sapiens; perhaps that required his attention."

The new military commander leveled what could be seen as a docile gaze upon the younger male. That is, if one couldn't sense the carefully hidden intelligence and intensity that lay beneath it. "Very diplomatic, Erik," he said, smiling slowly. What do you suggest? Oh, and call me Karl."

Erik straightened. "Yes sir, ah, Karl." He looked towards the house and nearly sighed in relief. Mark had exited, followed, or perhaps pushed ahead, by Alexa. "Here is the section leader and our acting first now."

Karl turned, noting with interest that the section leader was also black. His people didn't discriminate based on color or ethnicity, there simply weren't as many of them that were descended from humans who for the most part lived outside of the industrialized countries…Western Europe and North America. This fact had helped their scientists determine that the so-called industrial revolution had been a major cause of the original mutations. The dark blonde female he recognized from when he had received advanced tactical training at Lewis' chameleon facility. Alexa Lewis. One of the top ranking of chameleons today, Alexa had been in that class. He seemed to recall she had gotten a late start in the program.

The section leader held out his hands, bent at the elbow with palms up in a gesture of peace and welcome as he approached. "I am Mark Ward, welcome. You know Alexa Lewis, or so I understand."

Karl touched Mark's fingertips with his own, a sign to a more gifted individual that one's intentions were open to them. "Karl Hunter," he said. Yes, I do. Hello Alexa."

"Karl."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Mark."

"I wish I could take full credit. This facility is on loan…from Lewis."

His eyes darted toward Alexa. "Lewis Ryan?"

"You know another?"

Karl chuckled ruefully. "Not one that would have such a facility. But Lewis, working for coexistence? He hates the sapiens."

"He isn't and he does, though not so much as he did before. His bond mate is one of the partially adapted and she believes in coexistence."

Bond mate? Karl stared at Mark, then at Alexa. "I…find the thought of Lewis with a bond mate hard to accept."

Alexa's smile was wry. "We found it difficult as well. But, regardless, it is so. Lewis is a…different man from the one we trained with."

"Interesting." Karl frowned in thought. This signified a major change in attitude in one of the Chosen. Tom Daniels already supported coexistence. That meant that at least two out of the three Chosen for this particular prophecy who had survived the betrayal would not support the Council's plan to obliterate the sapiens. Coexistence might actually have a chance. He shook himself mentally. It _had_ to work. There was no other choice for him. Alexa was saying something to him…oh, about his quarters. After his initial welcome and comments about Lewis, Mark had visibly withdrawn from the conversation – odd.

"…take you to your quarters. They were Stephen's, will that be a problem?"

"No, of course not. I am honored to follow in Stephen's footsteps in this as well."

"We'll see you at dinner, then."Alexa turned to the soldier. "Erik?"

"Yes, chameleon," the young man said and then turned to him. "First? This way, if you would."

Karl nodded and followed Erik to what was evidently the barracks building.

... ...

Alexa followed Mark back to the main house, her jaw set with inner purpose. This had to stop. Their section leader could not afford to appear indecisive or weak. She _would_ find out what the problem was.

Instead of heading for the study, he made his way to the stairs. "Mark," she called out before he began to climb them. "We need to talk."

Mark stopped, but did not turn. "I'll make time for you later, Alexa. I…need to withdraw."

"You need to explain yourself. What in creation do you think…" she broke off as she sensed people entering through the kitchen. Anja and the older human doctor, David, passed by them, arm in arm, heading towards the library.

"Good afternoon," David greeted them.

"Hi," Anja said, sliding an arm around David's waist. "David is going to show me books on Leonardo da Vinci. Seems he was engineer, not just artist. Cool, ja?"

"Very," Alexa agreed, controlling an urge to raise an eyebrow at the sound coming from the foot of the stairs. Mark was literally grinding his teeth!

"It's always rewarding to spend time with the young," David smiled. "They tend to appreciate knowledge. Almost makes getting old bearable."

"Hey, you not old! You just experienced. I like that," Anja told him with a grin as they disappeared into the library.

Alexa grabbed Mark by the arm as he began to move. "Oh no, you don't. We're going to talk about this…now." She held her breath as Mark hesitated, then nodded.

... ...

Mark forced himself to stop grinding his teeth as he walked to the study with Alexa. What was Anja thinking? Consorting with a sapiens…a much older sapiens was…he didn't know what it was. He would have liked to say that it was unacceptable, but considering his position as a section leader in a faction dedicated to coexistence that would have been hypocritical, to say the least. He could understand her desire for Erik. The soldier was young, fit, and gifted. Seeing them together had been disturbing, but he could attribute that to his own loneliness and unsatisfied desires. But this…what could the sapiens male give her? Surely she did not want half-breed children…even though they would have all of the dominant gifts, such a union would not improve her line and the children would need to be careful to breed only with full-blooded members of their species lest they bear sapiens offspring. Mark jumped as the door slammed behind him. He glanced at Alexa's determined expression and sighed. He knew that he had not been giving full attention to his duties. Evidently it had been noticed.

"So, a bit jealous, are we?" she asked.

"Jealous?"

She frowned. "Mark, what happened? You made a claim on Anja; everyone saw it when you took her to your quarters after the retrieval mission. Did she decide not to accept you? I'd ask if you decided to rescind your claim, but if that were the case, you wouldn't be reacting this way."

"Actually, I did rescind my claim."

Alexa's eyebrows lifted. "Why? You obviously still desire her."

"I am section leader."

"You are section leader, you aren't a monk." She shook her head. "Mark, you are very even handed. We know that there are those among us with whom you feel close ties…what the sapiens call friendship. But we also know that you do not allow that to influence you. I think we could also trust you to behave similarly with a mate. Now, if you achieved a mating _bond_ with her, we'd expect you to treat her diff…"

"I am also an arbiter. I cannot achieve a mating bond," he almost shouted.

"What does…oh. Ah, I see. Well, that makes it easier."

He sighed and dropped down into his chair. "No. No, it does not." Mark rubbed his face with one hand. "Alexa, I have nothing to offer her. She has no future with me."

"No…what are you talking about?"

"I can't give her offspring, I can't even _attempt_ to bond with her."

"Uh, Mark. From the female point of view, I can assure you that having children is highly overrated. While I am proud of my offspring, I certainly would not care to repeat the experience."

"But she's still very young…"

"And she could have opted to have additional pairings if she wanted more children. The only reason I had more than one set was that I was not given an option. Our line lost too many of its members in the betrayal."

"I can never even offer her the _hope_ of a mating bond."

"That is an excuse, and not even a good one. Less than one in five thousand new pairings results in a mating bond today. Certainly it used to be more prevalent before the gene pool stabilized, but now it's a rarity."

Mark's fingers clutched the edge of the desk. "Alexa, I appreciate your input, but this is between me and Anja. It is not your concern."

"When you allow it to affect your performance as section leader, it becomes my concern. Couldn't you feel Karl's disquiet? Mark, you need to deal with this. We cannot afford your self-pity. Either you handle it, or you step down. I, and I'm sure Jeffrey, would prefer that you deal with it. Neither of us is as well suited as you are to run this organization, but we will if we must. Please see that it does not become necessary."

She turned on her heel and exited the study, closing the door sharply behind her. Mark winced and rested his head in his hands. "It's not that simple," he muttered to himself. "You don't understand…"

... ...

Caryn laughed at the face Jeff made after the waitress walked off with an exaggerated wiggle to her hips. The woman had been flirting shamelessly in spite of the fact that Jeff had been paying a great deal of romantic attention to his date. "Guess you're just too irresistible, huh?"

He sighed theatrically. "I swear, I gave her no encouragement. You know that, don't you?"

"Of course," she told him, patting the hand that held hers. She did know that. Jeff had begun turning up the volume on his attentions to her after dinner last night. He'd taken her for a moonlight walk, telling her about the different constellations visible from the facility. Then when they'd passed by the back of the mansion, he'd swept her into his arms and danced her across the lawn to the classical music that spilled over Lewis and Keri's balcony. She smiled as their soup was delivered. He'd taken her back to her room just before midnight, and kissed her goodnight. She'd been disappointed when he left her there alone. He was not going to get away with doing that again.

... ...

Leaving Sloan in the lab, Tom headed out to meet Lewis on the driveway. He was expecting the person who would help release his last memory blocks any time now, and wanted Tom with him to greet them. Pausing, Tom tilted his head thoughtfully. Lewis had been very mysterious about the identity of their expected guest. He frowned and continued on his way outside.

"Hey, Tom, did you have a good lunch?" Caryn asked as she passed with Jeffrey.

"Of course. The cook here prepares excellent meals."

Jeffrey chuckled, "I think Caryn was referring to the event, not the food. You know, the company…" he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Ah. I see. Then yes, Sloan and I had a great lunch…under the circumstances."

"What circumstances?" Caryn asked.

"Circumstances that I hope will be changed by the person in that van," Tom teased as he spotted the step van coming up the driveway. "I've got to go." He nodded to the scientist and touched his cousin's shoulder as he moved by.

"Tom," Lewis greeted as he reached the older man's side.

"Lewis. So who are we meeting?"

Lewis chuckled, shaking his head. "I thought I'd taught you patience?"

"There is a time and place for patience. You are simply tormenting me."

"Hmm, you know me too well." He shrugged. "No matter, the wait is almost over. I think you'll be surprised at the identity of our visitor…perhaps pleasantly."

"Perhaps?" Tom's fingers clenched into fists. Lewis was beginning to annoy him. The van pulled to a stop in front of them and a soldier climbed out and moved to the rear to open the door. Tom's eyes widened as a woman stepped out.

"Lewis," she said. "It seems the rumors of your demise have been greatly exaggerated."

Tom fought for breath as he stared at the new arrival.

"As have the rumors of yours. But then, I knew that." Lewis turned to look at him. "Well, Tom, don't you have anything to say to your mother?"


	3. Chapter 3

Lewis' mouth twitched as Tom stared at his mother. His cousin's shock at seeing the woman he thought he'd killed standing before him, whole and healthy, was priceless. To his credit, Tom pulled himself together fairly quickly. "How?" he asked.

Jane shrugged. "Simple really. Blanks loaded in the weapon, special effects courtesy of a micro-explosive with a packet of blood drawn from me earlier, and then Lewis assisted me with masking so that you would no longer sense me."

Tom nodded slowly. "I'd have noticed if the blood didn't have your scent. But what would have you done if I'd chosen to confirm the kill?"

"I didn't allow you to do so," Lewis interrupted. "You'd proven the programming was working, that was sufficient…I didn't need you to make the actual kill. Though I did consider it. I was quite unhappy with your mother at the time." He leveled a censuring look on his youngest aunt. "She knew I didn't wish you injured…yet she led the interrogator straight to you."

She shrugged negligently. "The council gave me no choice. Besides, it gave me an opportunity to urge your drugs on him…not that he accepted them."

Tom laughed in disbelief. "Two of a kind. Please, tell me I take after my sire."

Lewis frowned. "In fact, you do. Daniel and his brother Garrett were two of our sensitives. You would have gone to the breeding program if you…well…we'll discuss that once your remaining memories have been unblocked."

"You expect me to allow you to tamper with my mind again?"

"Tom, you've trusted me to this point."

"I didn't know that you'd lied to me."

"It was more of a misdirection…" he broke off as Jane grabbed his arm and directed his attention to a balcony on the main house with a lift of her chin.

"I thought all of the sapiens on your facility were the scientists you have in custody."

"All is as I told you." He concentrated to send Keridwen a danger warning, hoping she would withdraw back into their rooms. Lewis relaxed as his mate nodded and stepped back inside.  
"You've given them the run of the place?"

"They believe they are here working with the coexistence faction. I could hardly keep them confined and maintain that fiction." Lewis shook his head, almost imperceptibly, as Tom opened his mouth to interrupt.

"Perhaps you should assign guards to them for their security."

"I will do as I see fit."

"The last time you did as you saw fit, the council allowed you to rot in the sapiens' custody."

Lewis frowned. If he didn't need Jane to release Tom's memories…

"Enough!" Tom ground out. Lewis raised an eyebrow and waited for his young cousin to continue. "Why don't you," he said to his mother, "go back to where you came from. If the price of my memories is to trust either of you, it would be better to remain in ignorance."

"Fine, I'm certain the council will be pleased," Jane said.

"Tom, you will be in no danger. You may have your choice of those you do trust to monitor the process and ensure your safety."

"All right. I choose Keri."

"That's not possible," Lewis said, giving a significant glance at his aunt behind her back.

"Then you can forget it."

"Why don't you all take this inside," Jeffrey suggested as he walked up to them. "Hello, Jane."

"Jeffrey. I'm surprised you agreed to support Lewis. You were always adamant that the chameleon program was…what did you call it? Oh yes, nothing more than a pseudo-fascist goon squad."

Lewis blinked. "Goon squad?" He shrugged and began herding the others towards the house. "I suppose that's better than the group of gigolos you belonged to."

"Ha, ha. Actually, I believe _goon squad_ was my mother's term. I referred to it as your _pseudo-fascist regime_," Jeffrey told him.

"Hmm, that I can accept," Lewis said, ignoring Jane's startled look. "Let's use the library, shall we?"

... ...

Tom reluctantly followed his former mentor into the main house. He noted that Lewis had taken his aunt by the arm, ostensibly to escort her, but more likely to prevent her from wandering where Lewis did not wish her to go.

He hoped Lewis had thought to warn the faction of his mother's visit and the danger it entailed. No matter what fiction he had told her, one wrong move on anyone's part and the truth would be exposed. But surely _someone_ would have told _him_?

"Jeffrey, please take Jane on into the library. I wish to have a word with Tom, to mend fences…we need his trust if we are to help him," Lewis said.

"Of course," Jeffrey responded, but without enthusiasm.

"Tom, my study, please?"

He nodded, and entered Mark's office; the room Lewis had indicated was 'his study'. Mark wasn't there.

"He's in his suite," Lewis told him as he picked up on Tom's curiosity. "Tom, we need to talk about this."

"The time to talk has come and gone. You lied to me…you set me up."

Lewis sighed. "Letting you think you'd killed her…"

"Do not interrupt me!" Tom took a deep breath. "That doesn't even matter at this point," he continued in a calmer tone. "By bringing her here you have endangered not only the faction, but my intended mate. That I will _not_ tolerate."

"Bravo, Tom. If you must choose a sapiens, so be it. But choose and defend that choice to the death."

"It may come to that, thanks to you."

"Nonsense. Your mother believes that I am building my own faction of supporters who will rally to me when it is time for us to make our Choice. I've told her that I took custody of the scientists rather than killing them to gain your support, and that by convincing them they are working for coexistence I can suppress all of their discoveries."

"And when she leaves here, what will prevent her from betraying you to the council? I'm sure there is quite a reward for your head, not to mention, mine."

"Jane is loyal to me, she always was."

"What about the drugs she tried to force me to take?"

"You were too stubborn for her to handle. I can forgive her that."

"No. If you didn't wish me harmed, I find it difficult to believe you'd ask her to urge euthanasia pills on me."

"They were drugs associated with programming."

"Lewis, I am a chameleon, the best you ever trained. I can identify certain drugs by their scent."

The blood drained from Lewis' face. "She would not dare," he hissed, fists clenching at his sides. Tom crossed his arms and stared his cousin down. "I didn't know." Lewis sat down on the edge of the Koa desk. "Tell me what happened that day. What other facts has my dear aunt omitted or distorted?"

... ...

Keri stepped back from the balcony. Who was that woman, and why was everyone so hostile towards her? Not that she was any less hostile towards them. She made herself comfortable on the chaise and started a centering and breathing exercise. If Lewis thought that the stranger was dangerous, she should probably make certain that she had shields solidly in place. He'd given her the distinct impression that he didn't want the woman to know too much about her.

"Damn, it. He probably wants me to stay put, too," she muttered aloud. Ten minutes later Keri's shields were firmly established and she'd managed to actually relax. Her eyes flew open as she felt Lewis approach. "So, what's going on?" she asked as he entered their suite.

"The woman you saw is Tom's mother, Jane. She's one of the few who has the keys to his final memory blocks." He sighed, sounding annoyed. "Bringing her here may not have been a good idea."

"Why? She's his mother…or doesn't that mean much in your society?"

"It should. But she betrayed him…and me. I'd ordered her to follow him, and if she had the opportunity to give him drugs that would enable me to recover him without resorting to a rather dangerous default trigger I'd set in his mission programming. She took it upon herself to involve the council and lead an interrogator to him."

"Ah, an interrogator?"

"Yes. He beat him quite professionally."

"Oh, lovely. No wonder Tom's so thrilled with mom."

"No, that's not the reason. The interrogation he accepted as deserved because of his betrayal."

Keri frowned and held her arms out for a hug. Lewis chuckled and sat on the edge of the chaise to oblige her. "Mmm, thank you." She rubbed her cheek against his jaw. "So what _is_ the reason?"

"She abused him during the interrogation. Incestuously."

"What? Sexually, you mean?" She watched Lewis' eyes narrow as he nodded. "God damn. Is that considered as sick among your people as it is among mine?"

"Even more so since our gene pool is so small and Empaths are extraordinarily sensitive to psychological damage from such things."

"You didn't know, I take it?"

"No, or I would have allowed him to actually kill her."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. We don't have time for explanations now…later, hmm?"

"Promise?"

"Of course." Lewis brushed his lips across her forehead and pulled away. "Tom is bringing Sloan up here. I want you two to stand by while Jane and I work on those final memory blocks. If we have trouble with it and Tom gets…stuck, I'll need you to take Sloan into his mind to recover him. He doesn't trust me at the moment and he understandably doesn't trust Jane. Can you do this?"

"Sure, love." Keri reached up to stroke his jaw. "I paid attention when Tom and Alexa took me into your mind." She pouted playfully at his annoyed look. "Hey, it was for your own good."

"I know it, cherished." He leaned in for a quick kiss. "Here's Tom and Sloan now."

"Wouldn't it be better if we were there with you?" Keri asked as Lewis went to the door.

"No. I'd rather not expose you to her if I can avoid it."

"Hi Sloan, hi Tom," Keri said as they entered. Tom nodded and Sloan smiled at her, though the other woman looked as confused as Keri felt. She turned back to Lewis. "Well, then do you want me to try it from up here?"

"No, my own. My desire to keep you away from her is selfish. I don't want to be bothered explaining you. If we're busy recovering Tom, I won't have time for explanations."

"Why don't you want to explain us? If she has ties to the council, wouldn't she be able to tell them about our bond? Don't we still want that reported to them?"

Keri frowned as Lewis and Tom exchanged glances. Lewis raised an eyebrow at Tom, who nodded with what felt like reluctance. "Keridwen, she will not be reporting anything to the council," he finally said. "Or to anyone else with whom she has formed alliances."

Um…oh. I…see." She swallowed. "It's necessary, huh."

"Yes, my mate."

"Ooookay."

... ...

"What's okay?" Sloan asked. "What are you talking about?" She looked at each of the others in turn, "Tom?" she continued, her voice rising.

Tom sighed. "Sloan…my mother…" his voice trailed off.

"Dr. Parker," Lewis interjected. "Jane committed a serious crime. The penalty for that crime is death."

"The penalty? Who decides this? Was there a trial?" She glared at them as they stared at her blankly. "We can't just do this, we're not like that!"

"I beg to differ, Dr. Parker," Lewis said dryly. "As Tom and I can both bear witness, _you_ do indeed do this…or worse."

"No. That's not the same. Those people, that's not _us_, they were committing a crime; we even arrested the person in charge."

"Only because she also murdered a US Senator."

"No. It would have taken longer, but, no, that's not…"

"Sloan! Enough," Tom told her. "You don't know…"

"Well, then explain it to me!"

"I can't. It's…I,"

Keri shook her head. "Sloan," she interrupted. "Do you trust Tom?"

"Well, of course!"

"Then do it. Trust that he wouldn't allow this unless it was deserved."

"Do you trust Lewis that much?" Sloan demanded.

Keri looked up at Lewis as he moved up close behind her, and smiled. "Yeah, actually, I do."

Sloan bit her bottom lip. They were going to use Tom's mother to recover his memory and then they were going to kill her. It was wrong. But Tom's mother had let Tom be beaten…had even urged him to commit suicide. And if she'd hurt Tom before…

"Wait a minute…Tom; she tried to kill you before. Why would she help you now?"

Tom frowned. "Good question. Lewis?"

"Given her previous betrayal, I would assume she thinks to gain my trust until she could pinpoint our location and then later turn me in to the council."

"Um, guys?" Keri spoke up. "Have you checked her for any kind of tracking thingees?"

"Thingees?" Lewis gave Keri an exasperated look. "I didn't specify that the soldiers should do so," he finally told her. "Tom, go and check with them, see if they made a point of it. Just in case, I'll get a detector and meet you back at the library. If they've already tested her, we can put it in Mark's office."

"What if she's been tracked here already," Sloan asked nervously.

"Then, Dr. Parker," Lewis told her. "We prepare for an attack."

Sloan stared at him, speechless, as he and Tom left the room.

... ...

Jeffrey was beginning to run out of stalling tactics. Damn Lewis anyway. He should have warned them, given them time to get their cover straight. As it was, he'd had to go on the defensive, avoiding answering any question directly. He really hated being evasive. Well, now he hated it. Talking in circles around his targets had been a real kick in the breeding program…until he'd met someone who had been able to keep up with him. His mouth twitched as he imagined Keri having a face-to-face with Jane. His aunt would definitely come out second best in any such confrontation.

"I'm surprised Tom is allowing his precious pet to be lied to," Jane said, cutting into his reverie.

"Um, well, he had to make a trade-off. A lie is a small price to pay for his woman's life…and Lewis' protection of her."

"Hmm. Why is Lewis allowing Tom to regain his memories? He's been told of the severity of the trauma that Tom suffered. Is he not concerned that he may lose him? Memory restoration is often not survived."

"Lewis survived it," Jeffrey said, regretting the comment the instant it left his mouth.

"What? How? Of all people, Lewis should not have survived!"

"We had some PSI experts on hand as well as a full medical team. But it was still touch and go." Jane was giving him an odd look. Shit. He'd blown it for sure. A thought occurred to him. "Of course, if he does lose Tom, he'd have the pleasure of terminating Sloan and all of the scientists as compensation. I guess he sees it as kind of a win-win situation."

"Ah. But does Tom know the risks?"

Jeffrey was on a roll now. "Yes, but he's under the delusion that with his memories restored, he'll be able to bond with Sloan." He shook his head, projecting distress. "You know how close Tom and I were…in spite of what Lewis wants, I've tried to disabuse him of the notion, but he's taking Lewis' word over mine."

"Of course. Lewis has had experience with bonding. What would _you_ know?" Jane smirked.

"What indeed?" Jeffrey agreed, suppressing his own smugness at having distracted his aunt.

... ...

"I don't care, it's wrong," Sloan insisted. She frowned as Keri rolled her eyes and turned away. "It is! She's Tom's mother…and Lewis'…what the hell is she to Lewis?"

"His aunt."

"By marriage?" Sloan asked, thinking that didn't sound right for some reason. She winced at the scathing look Keri gave her. "What?"

"They don't get married, generally. Jane is Lewis' mother's sister."

"But she's younger than he is."

"Yep. His maternal grandmother had great genes. She was asked to breed, so she had seven successful pregnancies over twenty years. Lewis' mother was in the first and Jane was in the last, four years after Lewis was born."

"Whoa, he must have a lot of aunts and uncles running around."

"No. Just Jane, actually. Most of his mother's siblings were in Oaxaca when our government sent in the troops."

"Oh my God. She's one of his last relatives and he's ready to…?"

"Yes. Now doesn't that speak to the enormity of her crime? He saved her and Tom at the cost of his own mate and children."

"Oh God." Sloan stared blankly at the floor.

"And so?"

"Okay, okay, I'll drop it. But I hate to think what she must have done…"

"Then don't. When Tom is ready to talk about it, he will tell you. Just be patient. Lewis is coming out with his past in dribs and drabs."

"Huh. Still trying to keep secrets from you?"

"No. It's more a combination of when he's ready to talk about it balanced against when he thinks it won't be too much of a shock for me. I don't think they realize how strong and understanding sapiens women are."

Sloan smiled. Tom _was_ always trying to protect her, both emotionally and physically. "I think you're right."

Tom found Lewis waiting for him outside of Mark's office. His cousin was tightly masked from those who were inside the library. "Mark's people are well trained. They scanned her carefully for tracers."

"Excellent. Then we won't need this," he said, opening the study door and setting the scanner on one of the chairs. He exited and closed the door behind him. "Well, are you ready to recover your memories?"

"Were you?"

"I thought I was. Of course, I was livid that my memories had been blocked without my knowledge, so I didn't think through the possible ramifications."

"You also didn't have a lot of choices. Eventually Keri would have accidentally triggered the recall."

"And I would have died, and taken her with me. Yes. I had no choice, but you do. Tom, you can still change your mind. There are no guarantees that you will survive this. No one is willing to tell me what kind of trauma they buried; only that it had to do with the betrayal and that you were totally catatonic. Is returning to that state worth the negligible chance that you'll be able to bond with Dr. Parker?"

"Lewis, call her Sloan. She'll soon be a member of your family, even if I can do no more than take her as a life-mate."

Lewis sighed. "I am trying to ignore that small detail."

"Sorry, you don't have that option," Tom chuckled.

"Not unless the block removal fails. Are you certain…"

"Yes. I need to do this, Lewis. I have to know what I'm running away from. Even if Sloan and I can't achieve a mating bond, she deserves to have a life-mate that isn't hiding something from himself."

Lewis nodded thoughtfully. "Tom, I…in case we fail, I want you to know that I'm proud of you. Even with our disagreements, you've always displayed the courage of your convictions. That's admirable."

Tom stared at Lewis' outstretched arm and then clasped it firmly, forearm to forearm. Such an offer was rare among their people, and Lewis followed through on it by allowing Tom within his shields to prove his sincerity. "Thank you. You taught me well."

"Too well," Lewis said with a wry grin. "Shall we?" he continued, gesturing towards the library.

"Yes. It's time." He couldn't prevent himself from swallowing nervously as they approached the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Anja sighed as she flopped back onto the motel room's bed. It had been a long ride. She loved her Hayabusa, but a trip to San Diego from Fresno, and then making the first leg of the trip to Sacramento all in one day was a bit much even for her.

She gave a sidelong glance at the parcel she had deposited on the table. It contained lab samples and a CD with reports from their secure lab. Anja chuckled to herself. The only thing keeping it secure was the council's most trusted courier. How she loved being the fox that guarded the chicken coop!

"Well, let's see what you report today," she muttered as she sat up and pulled her laptop out of its case. After it booted up, she inserted the CD and waited for the password screen to come up. She could safely use the password she had observed at the lab without anyone being able to tell when she had actually done so, not even with the new CDs her people had developed. The special coating picked up an impression from the system clock when the laser read it. Of course, that was only an effective security measure against those who weren't aware of it. Her laptop's system clock was purposely set six hours behind the current time. It would appear that it had last been accessed when the CD was still in the custody of the lab.

Anja frowned as she sorted through the data. Most of it was routine or reported results of projects the faction was already prepared to counter. But this…"Scheisse," Anja swore softly. "This is too soon." Her eyes narrowed as she read through a report on genetic alteration. "How did they get this far so quickly?" She saved the file to her hard drive and read on.

The next report described a new bio-engineered tracking device. According to the project synopsis, the subject you wished to track swallowed a capsule with an inert device inside. The subject could then be scanned and the presence of the device would not be detected. Once the stomach acids dissolved the capsule, the enzymes in the stomach would activate it. Chills ran down Anja's spine as she read about the testing. A field test was in progress. A female was attempting to locate Lewis for the council. Lewis had contacted her, thinking her loyal to him, to gain trigger words for his cousin's memory block. Her fingers were almost nerveless as she fumbled for her cell phone.

... ...

"Yes," Mark said tersely. He'd been staring out of his bay window for hours.

"Mark, we got problem."

His eyes closed. Anja. Yes, he and Anja did indeed have a problem. It certainly didn't warrant risking a phone call while she was on assignment for the council. "We can discuss our problem when you return," he told her.

"What? No, idiot. The _faction_ has problem. _Big_ problem." Mark frowned as he heard her mutter "Männer, dumme männer", which translated to 'men, stupid men', from her native tongue.

Perhaps he deserved it. "What problem?"

"When is Lewis bringing person to release Tom's memory block?"

"She's already arrived, why?"

"She betrays him."

"Yes, Jeffrey has advised me that she is not to be allowed to leave the facility."

"Not good enough, she has new tracking device. Our scanners can't see it."

"What? Oh shit."

"Ja, my thought exactly."

"Is there anyway to neutralize it?" he asked, walking to his door and signaling to the guard that stood at the entrance to Lewis' wing. There was no response to his question. "Anja?"

"A minute, I'm reading."

"Okay." He began writing a note to Lewis as the guard arrived and then waited patiently.

"Here it is. Oh, this is good." Mark listened as Anja chuckled nastily. "Give her electric shock. Minimum two hundred and twenty volts."

"Much more than that would cause permanent damage; even to one of our own."

Anja snorted. "Do we care?"

"No, I don't suppose that we do," Mark agreed.

"I don't like this," Sloan said for what had to be the fiftieth time.

"I'm not real thrilled, either." Keri sighed and walked out onto the balcony. She was beginning to get that gnawing feeling in her stomach that signaled trouble. "You know what?" she began as she returned to the sitting room and dropped down onto the chaise. "I think we need to get ready to help. Sit down," she told Sloan, gesturing to an overstuffed chair, "and make yourself comfortable. I'm going to try and connect us now."

"Connect us? What do you mean?" Sloan asked; her curiosity obvious.

"I'm going to link to Lewis…he'll be linking with Tom to keep an eye on him, so to speak, while the block is being released. The theory is that I'll be able to ride that link so that we'll be linked to Tom, too."

"We? Um, doesn't that mean I have to be linked to you?"

"Sure does. Now sit down so that I can try to do that, okay?" Keri watched Sloan nod nervously and settle herself in the chair. "Okay. Now, all I want you to do is relax and kind of let yourself drift. You don't have to think of anything or try not to think of anything, just let whatever wants to pop up in your mind do so."

"I'll try." Sloan frowned and closed her eyes.

Keri sighed at the tension she was feeling from the younger woman. This was going to be harder than she had thought. "Sloan, the object is to relax. You're too tense…waiting for something to happen. I could probably push my way in, but I don't know if that would hurt you or not. Just…chill, okay? Everything will be just fine."

"Okay, chill…I'm chilling, right," Sloan muttered, her nervousness increasing.

"Sure you are," Keri chuckled. "Hey, did you ever have any pets?"

Sloan's eyes flew open. "Yeah, I had a cat when I was a teenager."

"A social cat?"

The scientist smiled. "As far as cats go, yes. She liked to have her head rubbed."

"What was her name?" Keri asked, smiling in return as Sloan began to relax.

"Marmalade. She was an orange tabby."

"Perfect name." Sloan was drifting now, and Keri _reached_ out for her. The mental link slipped into place smoothly. Tom had been right. The other redhead was actually somewhat gifted. "Okay, Sloan. Are you with me?" She sent an image of the meadow in Utah where she had found Lewis and his family during his reclamation.

"Yes, I'm seeing a field surrounded by mountains. What a pretty place."

"Isn't it? Lewis lived there with Marjorie just before the disaster in Oaxaca. I found him there, in his mind, when I had to go after him the second time."

"Wow. What a great place to raise children."

"Yep. He still owns the property. Hasn't been there since, though. He'd always put off checking on it, but never knew why."

"And now he knows. God, that must be awful. He never had a chance to grieve," Sloan mused.

"He's grieving now. He cries for them sometimes. I know, I know," Keri hastened to add as Sloan's disbelief flooded through the link. "It's hard to picture it. I was shocked the first time it happened. But, it's healthy. And he really is a caring, loving man underneath all the crap he's built up over the years. Damn my grandfather anyway. I hope he comes back as a slug in his next life for what he did to these people."

"Hmm, just a little angry with him, are you?"

Keri laughed out loud. "Gee, do you think?" She sobered quickly. "We're all victims here. The dominants killed my parents and my aunt and uncle out of fear that they would expose them. Grandmother died of grief. So Grandfather had his revenge…and then some. But it didn't bring our family back, and it hurt so many more innocents. And his attitude twisted Dani."

"Until she broke and took it out on him."

"Exactly. You're very good at this, Sloan. You're seeing it all, what I'm showing you, aren't you?"

"Yes. It's all so tragic. I…I appreciate your sharing this with me, but I'm not sure why…"

"Tom is going to have problems, Sloan. I don't know what they buried, but it's related to the betrayal…the massacre in Oaxaca. You're going to need to understand what happened there, from both perspectives. He's going to need your full support, no matter what happened."

"He'll have it," Sloan said firmly. I love him."

"I know you do. But they've lived in a culture that has been at war for twenty years, on their own turf. You can compare it to Vietnam, where, out of desperation, they used children as weapons. When you see what's going on inside his mind, you need to be prepared for that. You can't be horrified or shocked at what he's done…and don't tell me you wouldn't be," Keri told Sloan as she began to interrupt. "You were horrified that they plan to kill Jane."

"And you weren't?"

"No. Saddened, yes. Horrified, shocked, no."

"Oh." Tears were dripping down Sloan's cheeks. "Yes, I see the difference now."

"Good. Now relax, I'm going to pull Lewis in. He's not expecting it, so he may be startled or angry at first. Don't let it bother you. Once he has a chance to think about it, he'll know I'm doing the right thing."

"If you say so."

... ...

Lewis frowned at the soft knock on the library door. The soldier on the other side was filled with a sense of urgency. He shielded and excused himself, telling Tom to relax. His cousin had just reached the proper semi-hypnotic state needed for the removal of the memory blocks.

"What is it?" he snapped as he stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him.

"A note from Mark, sir. He received a call from one of our field agents. He said it was vital you be interrupted for this."

Lewis nodded. "Understood. Stand down soldier. I'm not irritated with you."

"Yes sir," Erik said, relaxing visibly.

"Shit," he muttered as he scanned the note. "We can't do anything about it at this point. We'll continue here, but be prepared to counter this the moment we're done."

"I'll get a taser from small arms storage and inform Mark." Erik trotted down the hall to the side door.

Lewis shook his head. Jane would still die, but now he was sorely tempted to make her death as painful as possible. He settled himself internally so that no sign of his agitation showed, then returned to the library.

"Is there a problem?" Jane asked.

"Not anymore." Lewis looked over to where Tom sat in a wing-backed chair. "How are you feeling, Tom?"

"Fine. Good."

"All right. We'll continue." Lewis frowned as he felt an itch at the back of his head. He increased his concentration and felt the familiar touch of his bond mate in his mind. Wait, not quite familiar…what the hell was she thinking? He bristled with annoyance and then let it seep away as he felt Keridwen's concern. She evidently felt that Jane might do something to sabotage the recovery of Tom's memories. Very well. Having Keridwen and Dr. Parker…Sloan 'present' would be a plus. He reestablished his link to Tom and then allowed the energy that represented the two women flow down it.

Tom smiled suddenly. "Yes, I'm feeling very good, thank you, Lewis."

"My pleasure. Jane, begin now." He watched; his eyes hooded as she began to speak. Her voice was expressionless, and he could feel no emotion from her. She spoke of the betrayal, of the death, the pain, and the terror that had surrounded them all. Then she said a seemingly random sequence of words. Tom's body stiffened and he began to moan.

... ...

"No! Jason!" Tom yelled, trying to grab his birth-sibling before he fell.

"He's gone, Tom. We have to run," his mother told him with a flat voice.

"He's alive, he's breathing…we can help him…mother, please!" Tom begged, pulling away from her with all his ten-year-old strength.

"Think of your other siblings, Tom. This way, now!"

Tom reluctantly abandoned his struggle, and allowed himself to be dragged away from Jason's side. Tears were streaming down his face, blinding him. A human soldier came out of nowhere and raised a weapon. The man dropped to the ground, his neck snapped, before he could fire.

"This way, into the ruins," Lewis ordered tersely.

Nodding, Tom followed. Lewis had scooped up his sister and was pushing his mother and remaining brother ahead of him. Another soldier ran towards them, raising his weapon and screaming something unintelligible. His mother turned and slammed her hand into the soldier's throat. He too fell, his breath gurgling in his crushed trachea.

They made it to shelter, and Lewis urged them into a dark corner, handing Mary to Tom. He held his sobbing sister close, shushing her and rubbing her back. Timothy moved beside him and they pulled their sister into a tight embrace, sending her soothing thoughts. Mary was in training to be a healer. All of the death and pain around them must have been hellish to her expanded senses.

Tom watched as Lewis ran towards another set of ruins. Gunfire echoed from within them, and Lewis screamed in rage and horror. His arms left his sister as he reflexively moved in the direction his older cousin had gone. "Tom, grab her!" Timothy hissed.

He turned, but was too late. Mary had broken free of her other brother and was staggering out of the half-collapsed room, wailing and holding her head.

"Well, what have we here?" a coarse voice in the outer room said. "Aren't you a pretty little thing?"

Tom gathered himself to attack the soldier then fell back as his mother clamped a hand over his mouth and pulled him back into the corner. He felt his brother being held similarly beside him.

"Shit, Jensen, what the hell are you doing in…oh. Pretty. Kinda young, though."

"She's got breasts, she's old enough," Jensen laughed.

"Barely. Ah, what the hell."

Mary had finally stopped wailing. She watched the two men, fear creeping into her eyes as they backed her against a wall. But she didn't so much as glance toward the broken door to the room that sheltered her mother and brothers.

Tom struggled anew. The soldiers were distracted; they could take them from behind!

"Be still," his mother hissed. "There are many more just outside. They haven't entered because they don't approve. If we attack, they will come in and kill us all."

Beside him, Timothy stopped struggling against their mother's grip. Tom shot a look at his brother, sending his urgency and need to rescue their sister. Timothy turned his head and buried it in their mother's shoulder. Tom fought harder, and bit the hand his mother had clasped over his mouth.

She jerked him back hard against her, ignoring the pain that he could feel shooting through her. "Be still!" she repeated. "This is your fault. You were supposed to be holding her." She shook him, hard, as he began to cry. "Silence. Do you wish to kill your brother and me, too?"

... ...

Lewis frowned as he watched the memories envelope his cousin. Damn Jane anyway. It hadn't been Tom's fault. He tried to insert himself into the memory as Keridwen had done with him. It wasn't working. He could hear Tom screaming with grief in the present, and part of him saw the younger man slump in the chair, finally silent. Refocusing on the memory-state, he saw a figure walk into the ruins. A woman with red hair…no, not Keridwen as he first thought, it was Sloan. She appeared uncomfortable, startled at her surroundings. And she looked like she was listening to someone he couldn't see.

"Tom?" she called out. The soldiers and the girl they were tormenting ignored her as though she wasn't there. "Tom, it's just a memory, it can't hurt you, I promise." She turned to the soldiers. "You hear that? You're just a memory. Enough already; go away!"

Ten-year-old Tom walked out of the room that he had taken refuge in with his mother and brother. He threw himself at the soldiers, yelling in surprise as they and his sister disappeared. "Where did they go? What did you do with them?" he demanded, running at Sloan.

"Nothing, I swear!" she told him, holding her hands out in front of her.

Lewis noted that Tom stopped just out of her reach. "Then what happened to them? Where did they take Mary?"

"Oh, Tom, I'm so sorry," Sloan said with tears streaming down her cheeks. "They're gone. This happened over twenty years ago."

He stared back at her, his disbelief etched in every line of his young body. Lewis' mouth twitched as he recalled his own shock when confronted by Keridwen while trapped deep in his memories. "Then I'm not ten any more?" he asked.

"No. You're in your early thirties. Thirty-one, I think…you've never told me your birthdate."

"Who are you?" he asked belligerently. Lewis smiled as Tom began to age before their eyes. "What are you doing here, human? Are you here to kill me, the others didn't do the job very well, did they?"

"Oh, Tom, no." Sloan took a cautious step towards him. "You had a memory block. I guess you were blaming yourself for what happened to your brother and sister. Lewis said you were catatonic after the battle was over. Lewis and your mother have released the block."

"Why? You think I want to remember this?" A twenty-something Tom's voice was bitter. "Because I wanted to be an adult, to help Lewis fight, my sister was raped and killed. I should have died, too."

"NO!" Sloan stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Tom, please. You have to forgive yourself. Please, come back to me, I love you!"

"You're human…I mean, sapiens," Tom said, pushing her away. "Why would you love one of my people? We're at war. Eventually you must all die."

"You don't believe that. You never really believed that. You couldn't kill me…and you couldn't kill that boy-genius."

Lewis frowned. This was the first he'd heard that Tom had actually made contact with his earlier target. When the boy had disappeared he'd assumed that the sapiens' government had gotten wind of their interest and had stepped in and relocated the family. Hmm.

"I've terminated my targets when ordered. I don't know you."

Sloan was really crying now. "I was your target. You had my neck in your hands and you couldn't kill me. Later you fell in love with me, and I fell in love with you."

"We don't love. Not like sapiens. It makes one weak."

"No. You're wrong," Sloan said with conviction. "Love makes you stronger. Tom, don't you remember? You were human for a day. Remember how that felt!" She wrapped her arms around him again, and Lewis could feel the force of her emotions flowing through the link Keridwen had established. He was becoming quite uncomfortable with this.

"Sloan?" Tom asked, sounding bewildered. "Where am I?"

"In your memories, bad ones. Oh, Tom. Do you remember me now?"

"Yes…I…my sister, they…they raped her, sodomized her. Then they beat her and left her to die. I couldn't even go to her after they left. Sloan, I watched her bleed to death in the rubble!"

"It's not your fault, Tom. You were a boy, you couldn't have helped her."

"YES I COULD!" He threw Sloan away from him and stalked across the suddenly barren landscape. "I was almost an adult by our standards, Sloan. If my mother had let me go, or if my brother had helped me get away, I could have helped her!"

"But she didn't! And he didn't! It was not your fault."

"I should have never let go of her."

"So why wasn't your mother holding her? She was _her_ daughter; your mother was the parent, the one responsible, not you!"

Tom stopped, shuddering as he stood there. He jumped as Sloan moved up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Tom, I love you and I need you. Please come back to me."

"Slo-oan…"

... ...

"Slo-oan…" Tom said aloud as he regained consciousness.

Jane frowned. "What does she have to do with anything?" she asked.

"A great deal, aunt," Lewis told her. "Why didn't you tell me you knew where Jason was?"

"He was dead."

"Tom saw that he was still breathing and told you so."

"There was no time to check, and I thought Tom was imagining it."

"I see."

She frowned at the icy tone in her nephew's voice. "It was confusing. The deaths, the terror, I wasn't sure what was happening or what to do about it."

"Of course. I suppose that was why you didn't hold onto your daughter, even though you knew that as a healer in training she would be in great distress."

"How was I to know? I've never been a healer." This was not going at all well. Somehow Lewis had seen Tom's memories. That was unprecedented.

"And you blamed Tom. He was a sensitive. How could you allow him to think he was at fault for the attack on his sister?"

"Well, I was trying to shock him into silence. I didn't want us all to die."

Lewis' eyes narrowed. "You disgust me."

"Oh, and you did all that much better under the circumstances? I don't see your family here…any of them. At least Tom and Timothy survived." She shrank back as Lewis moved toward her, obviously enraged.

"Lewis, no," Tom said, catching his arm. "She's not worth it."

Jane bit back a sigh of relief. Her Tom would not allow her to be harmed.

"No. You're right." Lewis turned away and stalked to the door. Opening it, he stepped outside, spoke to someone and then reentered. He walked past her towards the window. She stretched her senses, but couldn't read his state of mind.

Pain blinded her, her nerves felt like they were on fire. She felt rather than heard herself screaming as she collapsed.


	5. Chapter 5

Tom stared as his mother collapsed on the floor, her body jerking spasmodically. "I know that we planned on terminating her, but electrocution?"

"No. We received word that she was the field test for a bio-engineered tracking device. The only way to neutralize it was through an electric charge." Lewis gave him a wry look. "Though if I'd thought about it, I'd have had them make it a lethal voltage."

"Tom!" Sloan rushed into the library. "Are you okay?"

He braced his feet as she threw herself into his arms. "I'm fine, Sloan. Thank you." He looked up as Keri strolled in more sedately.

She stopped short, staring at Jane. "What happened?"

Lewis shrugged. "It seems she's a bit shocked."

"Lewis…"

He chuckled and held his arms open for her. "We had to neutralize a new type of tracking device."

Tom hugged Sloan closer as he watched Lewis and Keri together. They were making their relationship work, despite their differences. Could he and Sloan do any less? They _would_ make it work, even if they couldn't achieve a mating bond. His memories…they wouldn't get in the way. If anything, Sloan's love was even more miraculous to him now.

"Why don't you and Dr…_Sloan_ go wait in Mark's study while we deal with the garbage," Lewis told Keri as he nuzzled her cheek. "Once she recovers from the shock, we'll finish it."

Sloan spoke up. "Look, I understand she has to die, but can't you just get it over with while she's unconscious?"

"No," Lewis told her. "She must know that her betrayal has been discovered and that she will pay for it."

Tom suppressed a sigh. He'd rather just end it, but he could feel Lewis was adamant about punishing his mother. He resigned himself to allowing Lewis to have his revenge. "Sloan, why don't you wait upstairs?"

"Tom, this isn't ri…" she bit off her words. "I mean…do you feel right about this?"

This time he allowed himself the sigh. "I don't know, Sloan. I know she deserves to die. I agree that she should be punished for what she did…not just to me, but the way she abandoned my sibs." He shook his head. "But how she dies…"

"She will die appropriately," Lewis insisted.

... ...

Keri looked from Tom to Lewis, and chewed on her lower lip. Whatever the woman had done, she was of their blood. There had to be…maybe…yes. That might work. Lewis' left eyebrow shot up. "What are you thinking, my own? I know that expression."

"What if you don't terminate her?"

"Keridwen…"

"Look. She's betrayed you, both of you," she said, turning slightly to include Tom.

"Yes, and she will pay for it," Lewis stated flatly.

"Yeah, but it wasn't just her. The council put her up to it."

"They will pay with her loss."

"Lewis, do we still want the council to know about us?"

He frowned at the apparent change of subject. "Of course, it will tie their hands; they will not be able to sanction harm to either of us."

"Then we waste an opportunity," Keri shrugged and turned away, projecting indifference. Her lips twitched as Lewis sighed.

"What do you have in mind, cherished?"

"Is it possible to program her to remember her visit here a bit differently? Like it being a different location, and totally forgetting the electric shock?"

"Certainly. My aunt's gifts are rather latent. Her memory could easily be adjusted."

Okay, so we take her somewhere else. You change her memories, tell her about our bond, prove it to her…"

"Then send her on her way…"

"Exactly," Keri grinned and Tom nodded thoughtfully.

"Wait a minute. I thought you wanted to punish her and that's why you won't kill her until she's conscious. How does this punish her?" Sloan finally asked.

"Well," Keri told her, "just think what will happen when she reports to the council!"

"What do you mean? I guess I don't get it."

Tom shook his head. "You have to understand how the council thinks. She will report to the council, and they will send soldiers out to take us…but to the wrong location."

"Which she'll insist is the right location," Keri added.

"But upon further investigation, they will find that something else entirely has existed there…and conclude that she is either lying or was easily fooled."

"Yep," Keri said happily.

"Oh. So they'll punish her for being fooled?" Sloan asked.

"Uhhh, I don't know." Keri looked to Lewis and Tom. Tom shrugged.

"Hmm," Lewis mused. "They may not, depending on how much they value her for other things. That gives, at best, a fifty-percent chance that she will be disciplined by the council, rather than simply dismissed as incompetent. I know she will be dealt with properly if I do it."

Keri frowned. Lewis was right…shit. She thought furiously. "Well, what if you program a trigger so that when they accuse her of getting the location wrong, she responds by telling them exactly what she did to Tom? You know; not just the recent crime, but what she did to him and his siblings during the betrayal."

Lewis blinked then chuckled. "My mate, you have a most devious mind. While they will know that she did not betray them, they will still execute her both for her crimes and for her stupidity in allowing herself to be programmed."

Keri grinned and stretched up on her toes to rub her cheek against his jaw. "I'm devious, huh? Flatterer."

"Mmm. I knew there was a good reason that I chose to bond with you."

"You _chose_ to, huh? What, because of my deviousness?"

"Among other things."

Keri chuckled and nuzzled his neck. "Mmm, what other things?"

"Tom, send Erik in here to keep an eye on Jane. We want her to remain unconscious until we're ready to work on her. Then speak to Mark about a location we can use as my…headquarters."

"And you will be…?" Tom asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I will be…seeing to other matters," Lewis told him, drawing Keri out the door.

... ...

Tom's voice carried down the hall after them. "Those _other matters_ will include putting together a pharmaceutical kit, I trust?"

"A pharmaceutical kit? You use drugs to do the programming?" Keridwen asked as he urged her up the stairs.

Lewis chuckled as he led his mate into their rooms. "Yes. It won't take me long to do that, my own." He kicked the door closed behind him. "Meanwhile, I have time for you…" She shivered under the touch of his lips on her throat. "My devious, brilliant mate. Our children will have an incredible inheritance."

"Children? Plural? Hey, I said I'd have your child, not children," she said with a teasing note in her voice.

"Ah, cherished. If it is not so bad…?"

"We'll see. Of course, I didn't intend to have _this_ one right now," she mused. "So maybe you'll please me so much I'll have another when I don't intend to."

"Then I will have to continue pleasing you to the point were you can't think, hmm?" he whispered as he laid her back on the bed.

"Ohhhh, you _always_ do that."

Lewis laughed as she laced her fingers behind his neck and tugged him down for a kiss. He obliged her, then pulled back a bit and kissed his way down her neck, unbuttoning her blouse with his teeth. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as he teased her nipples through the lacy bra and mouthed the soft globes.

"Lewis…don't you have to…"

"All that I _have_ to do, my own, is please my mate and myself," he told her as he unhooked the garment and tossed it aside. She moaned and grasped his head as his mouth closed on one of the nipples he had teased to hardness. He kneaded the other breast while his free hand tugged her gauze skirt up around her waist.

"God, Lewis…oh, please." She squirmed as his fingers slid under her panties and between the folds of her labia. "Yes, love…I…oh!"

He chuckled as his thumb pressed down on her clitoris and she lifted her hips to increase the pressure. Her canal was already slick with arousal as he slid two fingers in to thrust gently. "Keridwen," he whispered. "Mine," he told her, ripping the underwear off and replacing his fingers with his hard staff. She bucked under him almost immediately, keening her pleasure. "Mine," he repeated, his mouth finding the scar on the left side of her throat. He teased it with his teeth, thrusting deep within her, groaning as he felt the bond fully coalesce. Her pride and love was almost blinding in its intensity. His eyes closed as he savored the emotions that swept through them.

"Yours, Lewis," she hissed as her orgasm gripped them both. "Always yours."

... ...

"Other matters," Tom muttered. He turned and looked at Sloan; she was desperately trying to hide a smile and failing miserably. "Doesn't he think _I'd_ like to attend to other matters?"

Sloan giggled. "Oh Tom, we'll have time soon. We do want to do this right, don't we?"

"Yessss."

"Well, then take care of business and make it quick."

He took her in his arms with a speed that made her gasp. "Sloan, you are baiting me intentionally."

"It's called teasing, and yes, I am," she admitted cheerfully.

"Soon."

"Yes…soon, Tom." She shuddered in his embrace as he nuzzled her cheek. "Very soon," she whispered as he bit down on one delicate earlobe.

He pulled away; he was shaking, himself…and pressed his forehead against hers. "I'd better get things moving. We don't have much time, we can give her false memories to account for a day, but much more than that and we run the risk of it getting too complicated and hitting a false note. If that happens, she'll be able to break the programming."

"Okay, I'll be waiting for you."

"You'd better be," he growled. "I need you."

"You _need_ me? Is that all?"

"Slo-oan…you know I love you," he ground out.

"I know. I love you, too."

... ...

Mark dropped the phone back into its cradle. More bad news. It was days like these when he most keenly felt Paul's absence. He looked up at the rap on the door. What did Tom want? "Enter," he called out.

"We've got a problem," Tom informed him. "I need a few things from you."

"Another problem? What is it this time? Another council project being field tested on us? Or perhaps more of your sapiens have gone missing."

Tom stared at him, his eyes blank.

Mark exhaled sharply. "I just received a call from Dr. Attwood. Mr. Peterson's wife and son have been taken; they're not sure by whom."

"No! Matt…he's just a boy...and Grace…we should have picked them up sooner."

"Hindsight is always perfect. They've been trying to investigate on their own. The neighbors claim that the police took them away, but the local precinct has no record of it. Peterson's former partner on the force looked into it, said the cars the neighbors saw were theirs, but the men they described were not."

"Lt. Quinn, did they check him out?"

"The collaborator?"

"Is he?" Tom asked. "I'd suspected from his reactions to Ray's investigations on Sloan's behalf, but I couldn't be certain."

"Yes. We'd tagged him quite some time ago from the reports Anja delivers. The council has an impressive network of collaborators throughout the country." Mark frowned. "They're tailing him, trying to see where he might lead, but unless he has quite a network of his own, it's not likely he did anything but loan the vehicles. There have been a lot of Federal types in and out of the precinct, though, and Walter is concerned that perhaps Danielle Ashton did this before her arrest.

"That's possible. Lewis could probably find out from her former second in command. Foster actually has developed a great deal of respect for Lewis. And if he won't tell him, I believe he will answer to Keri. Foster is feeling responsible for the Senator's death. But in case they aren't involved, can Anja look for information while she's making her delivery to the council?"

"Not likely. She has only limited access." He checked his watch. "Besides which, she should have already left her rest stop and will be incommunicado until she's left them. Can you question Jane while she's being programmed?"

"To a point. But will she know anything? She betrayed her blood when she first agreed to do the council's bidding. They will use her gladly and make pretty speeches about her sacrifice to ensure our survival, but they will never fully trust her."

"You're incredibly well versed in politics for someone who has just regained his memories."

Tom's smile was predatory. "It's ironic, I know, but I have almost total recall. I couldn't access the ability with the blocks and programming in place, but now it's paying off and even my impressions of the situations I encountered while I was blocked are now accessible."

"I'm glad you're on our side…you _are _still planning to support coexistence?"

"Of course. Sloan is my life. How could I do otherwise?"

"Lewis is trying…"

"Lewis is fighting a losing battle. He knows that in the end he will have to actively choose, and he _will_ choose to support his bond mate. Love is a powerful motivator…but then, I think you know that."

Mark looked at their people's top chameleon, highly gifted, one of the Chosen, and felt the weight of his stare. It seemed as though the other man's clear blue-gray eyes could see into his soul. "Yes." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, working to center himself. "Now, what is it you need?"

**ELSEWHERE**

Damien frowned as the council's administrator made the last call for business. His courier was late. She should have arrived with the reports and lab samples hours ago, before the meeting began. What could have happened? She was the best they had…and the most trusted. "Chairman, shall we close the session?" the administrator asked.

"Yes," Damien told him. "We'll review the information due via courier during our next meeting, or if it proves vital, we'll call an interim meeting." He stood and stalked to his office, hiding his worry under an air of annoyance.

He had finished entering his notes into his laptop when he heard the purr of a racing motorcycle drift through the open window. "Finally," he muttered and shut down the program he was working with. She was sitting on the table, swinging one leather-clad leg impatiently when he entered the council chamber. The sleek boot with a modest heel hugged her calf, and the trousers clung to her muscular thigh. As usual, she was magnificent.

"It's not my fault," she muttered, evidently picking up on his annoyance.

He folded his arms and stared at her, raising one silver blonde eyebrow.

"It was rolling blackouts. Alarm did not go off, I overslept." His other eyebrow rose and he suppressed a smile as Anja's lower lip dropped into a pout. "Is true!" she insisted heatedly.

"It's not like you to need an alarm," was his mild comment.

"Well, I sleep more since I had accident. I'm still recovering."

Damien frowned. The news of her accident had unsettled him more than he cared to admit. He reached out to tuck a lock of dark hair behind her ear. "You, having an accident. That was…surprising news."

"Was surprise for me, too," she grumped. "Oil spill on road does not mix well with racing tires."

"Got the bike fixed easily enough, hmm?"

Her eyes flashed with something that looked like worry, though he didn't pick anything up through her shields. "Bike landed in oily mud puddle on side of road. _I_ went sliding across road and into tanker." She shrugged, somehow managing to make the studied indifference sensual.

"You didn't call in for help." He watched as his favorite courier flushed and ducked her head. Interesting.

"The Chippie was well hung," she admitted.

Damien laughed. That was his Anja. Always landing on her feet…well, not her feet, exactly. "Better than I?" he asked her.

"Ah, well, noooooo," she said, reaching for his belt. "No sapiens could compare to you."

"I should hope not," he murmured in her ear as he tugged on the zipper that ran from her collar to her crotch.

... ...

Anja shivered involuntarily when Damien's fingers ran down her body as he pulled down the zipper. As he always preferred to discover, she was naked under the leather jumpsuit. While she could feel nothing but hate for him and those like him who had sentenced her siblings to death when they had been protecting their people, she couldn't deny the sexual attraction.

He was tall, not quite six feet; his body was lean and corded with sleek muscle. At fifty-two his blonde hair, styled in a conservative but not too short cut, was heavily silvered at the temples. The emerald green eyes were bright and piercing. And, as he had boasted, he was very well equipped. She licked her lips thinking about it. Yes, she hated him, but she certainly didn't mind using him this way. It gained his trust as well as tidbits of confidential information that never appeared in the reports she carried. She smiled as his fingers slid past the opened zipper and caressed her mons. It didn't hurt that he was hot looking…and very talented in sexual play. Made her job _so_ much more enjoyable.

He peeled the leather off of her shoulders and down her body until the garment caught on her boots. His hands caressed her flanks, running up and under her petite breasts. Anja groaned as he kneaded the small mounds and pinched her nipples sharply. "More scars," he muttered hoarsely. Then she felt his mouth soothing the signs of her newest hip injury.

"Yes…do you mind?" she asked.

Damien's head lifted. "No. It speaks of your strength; you are a survivor, a fierce and proud warrior." His head dipped again and he sucked gently on the scar tissue.

Anja moaned as his mouth drifted to her pubis. His fingers spread her folds and she could feel his tongue stroking the path between her canal and clitoris. A sick feeling curled in the pit of her stomach as she looked down at the blonde head tucked between her thighs. As much as her body was responding, she didn't truly want Damien. Damn Mark anyway…it should be _his_ head between her legs, _his_ tongue urging her to readiness.

The long fingered hands moved to her hips, lifting and turning her so that she crouched on her forearms and shins on the polished table. Her legs were pushed as far apart as the leather garment trapped around her calves would allow, and then she felt the head of his large penis probing her vulva. The fingers closed tightly around her waist and pulled her back against him as he thrust forward. "Yes…" Damien hissed as he was enveloped within her. She whimpered as he began to pound inside her, all technique forgotten as he punished her for causing him concern. He wanted this female; her lineage was exemplary if one ignored her treasonous siblings. Her loyalty and valor proved them to be aberrations, and she would be a fine mother to a set of his offspring.

Her canal was tight around his cock, clutching it hard each time he withdrew, only to resist his entry on each thrust. She was sobbing with pleasure, twisting her hips to wring every bit of sensation from their coupling. He leaned over her back, scenting her hormones. Ah yes. This time she would conceive. This time she would become his. Anja cried out as his thrusts became short and hard. "Yes!" she told him, her voice almost angry. "Give it to me!"

Damien smiled with satisfaction at her outburst. The petite courier was indeed his. He shuddered, his eyes narrowing as he felt her orgasm, and laughed as he too began to come. "Anja!" he ground out. "Take my seed, fierce one." She screamed as his ejaculation filled her and then collapsed into his ready arms. It was a good sign.


	6. Chapter 6

Karl frowned as he slipped into the passenger seat of the step van. While Mark had explained that their prisoner thought that Lewis had a private faction supporting his claim to lead their people as one of the Chosen, he didn't much care for the idea of the council being told that he was a part of it. But that, too, had been explained. Once their secret was out, and they knew the sapiens had studied their physiology, the council had allowed many of their people to remain in sapiens custody after failing in a task. The coexistence faction had retrieved most of them…all of those who had survived capture and had not been immediately delivered to the Ashton bitch for her experiments. If the council were allowed to believe that Lewis was behind the retrievals, the council would think his position far better established, and would not realize that the coexistence faction was so well manned. The council would be overconfident if they believed they faced two small disparate factions rather than one combined force.

He and his men had not been given over for experimentation. Danielle Ashton had been fixated on Lewis when they were taken, and shortly thereafter she had kidnapped Tom. While the sapiens at Fort Lewis had held them securely, they had held them with honor. Fortunately the coexistence faction had been able to use subterfuge rather than violence to obtain their release. His conscience was at ease. Thinking of Ashtons…Karl had been shocked when he was told that Lewis had taken one as his mate. The female bore only a passing resemblance to her cold and calculating cousin. Their eyes had a similar shape and both women had the same straight patrician nose that spoke of their New England WASP heritage.

Keri Ashton walked quickly from the house as he watched. Her burgundy hair was caught up on the top of her head in one of those things the young ones called 'scrunchies', the curls cascaded down to her shoulder blades. He frowned. Picturing the fastidious Lewis with this very casual female was…difficult. She was definitely not what he would have expected in Lewis' mate. But then, his own female was not what any of their people would have expected him to choose either. His mouth twitched as he pictured Tracie as he had last seen her in the library at Ft. Lewis. Once he felt secure here he would send for her. Surely no one in the faction would question the relationship.

Karl glanced to his left as the driver's door opened and Bonnie climbed in. Bonnie, who had just returned from a trip south, Erik, Alexa, and himself, would be the visible members of Lewis' 'faction'. Oh, and Keri, of course. There would be a show of Tom joining Lewis after having his memories restored; Jane's return to consciousness would be explained as recovery from a feedback problem during the memory restoration. He shook his head. For all of its military simplicity, this was going to be a complex operation.

... ...

Caryn frowned again at the three aberrant EEGs. With Ed's help, she'd rerun all of the DNA tests using a more thorough mapping program that Dr. Richard had provided. Out of the fifteen subjects not previously identified as dominants, twelve were undisputedly human…ah, sapiens. The other three registered between 1.12 and 1.19% differential from the baseline primate. While this was close enough to the 1.1% sapiens differential to be considered normal, there were certain anomalies that they couldn't explain.

"Take a look at these nerve ganglia," Ed muttered, pointing at the computer screen. "Mark got us into that imaging center over on Herndon last weekend to take these scans of Keri." He gave her a sidelong look and smirked. "Where were you, or shouldn't I ask?"

Her mouth twitched and she stared at the scan results. "Jeff took me to the WaterPark."

"You're kidding?" He chuckled as she blushed. "Okay, I'll bite, what's so embarrassing about going to the Water Park?"

"Wellll, it's a bit juvenile to be embarrassed, I suppose, but he ended up escorting his own private wet t-shirt contestant after my first trip down the slides." She grinned at Ed's confused expression. "I didn't get all my belongings yet, and I didn't have a bathing suit so I was wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and a pair of underpants."

"Ah. Got it." Ed coughed and did his best to look anywhere but at her chest. He failed and Caryn began to laugh.

"Go ahead, get it over with. Take a good look at my 36 C's. That way you can get back to work and not be sneakin' peeks from behind the microscope."

"Right…sorry."

Caryn sighed. "It's not your fault. It's a guy thing."

"What's a guy thing?" Sloan asked as she walked into the lab.

"Breasts," Ed told her, blushing furiously.

"Uh…"

"Looking at breasts," Caryn clarified.

"Phew, thank you," Sloan said. "Geez, Ed. You had me worried for a second."

"Very funny," he told her. "Hey, how'd it go with Tom and his mother? Can we leave the lab now?"

Uncharacteristically, Sloan sighed. "Yes, she's gone now…and yes; Tom has his memories back, thank you _so_ much for asking."

"You don't sound terribly happy about it," he said.

"Oh, I am. I mean, everything's fine with Tom and me. He just has the mother from hell. She makes Lewis look like Mother Theresa."

Caryn couldn't help it; she burst out laughing. "I'm sorry," she managed as the other two stared at her. "I was in India on a World Health tour just out of graduate school, and actually met Mother Theresa. The picture of Lewis…oh my."

Sloan grinned back at her. "Yeah, I guess that is a bit out there." Her grin faded. "She watched her children die rather than risk herself, and then she blamed it all on Tom. He ended up catatonic from the despair and guilt, that's why they blocked his memories…just so he could _function_."

"Jesus. I hope they're gonna kill the bitch." Sloan stared at her. "Oh, Sloan. Don't give me that look. I know the kind of code these folks are following. She was way out of line, even by their standards. Anyway, it's not like they've got a prison they can toss her in."

"No, I suppose not," Sloan's voice was small.

Caryn waited patiently, but Sloan didn't elaborate on what was happening. "So, what are they going to do with her?" Sloan's mouth twitched. "Aw, come on, Sloan. Spit it out."

"Keri is devious," she chuckled.

"And what else is new?" Caryn asked.

"Yeah," Ed spoke up. "Tell us something we don't know."

Sloan laughed. "Yeah, but _this_ time she even put one over on Lewis."

"Again, what else is new?" Ed reiterated. Caryn and Sloan both stared at him. Ed grinned. "We're getting some top notch lab equipment in soon…you know, the kind that you usually need one hell of a grant to afford…and I don't think he knows about it yet, but Lewis is paying for it."

"Oh mah," Caryn said, and winced as she heard her twang creeping into her voice. She cleared her throat. "Should I ask?"

"No. So, Sloan, what did she pull on him now?"

"She managed to get him to back off from killing Tom's mother…who, it seems, is his aunt. Told me she didn't want family blood on either his or Tom's hands."

Caryn pursed her lips thoughtfully. "That's probably a good idea."

"They're going to send her back to the council, but arrange for the council to find out what she's been up to…and let _them_ kill her."

"Now _that_," Ed pronounced, "is devious."

Caryn chuckled and turned back to the nerve scans. "Okay, so we know Keri Ashton is devious. But is she human, partially adapted, or something else?"

"You mean sapiens," Sloan said, smiling slightly.

"Right."

Ed frowned at them. "Hell, the dominant scientists studied her DNA and they couldn't tell."

"Well, _we_ are going to figure it out," Caryn told him. "Let's get to work, shall we?"

... ...

Lewis looked up and nodded to Tom. "That should do it. She'll be coming around in a few minutes. Everything is in place?"

"Of course," Tom said with reproach in his voice.

Mouth twitching, Lewis stood and moved away from the sofa where Jane lay. "Well, it has been a while since you've done this," he reminded his cousin. "Keridwen is ready?"

"She's a tad anxious, but then, you know that," Tom grinned as Lewis lifted one eyebrow. "Keri's waiting for her cue."

"Good." He wished he could go to his mate and reassure her in person, but there was no time. Sending comfort through the bond would have to suffice. He smiled as he felt her pleased acknowledgement. She was quite the actress, but this was going to stretch her talents since she would have to project her supposed feelings to match the pretense.

"It's time," Tom told him, dropping to the floor in an awkward sprawl.

Lewis took his place in the chair they had set up in the 'living room' of his 'facility'. He propped one elbow on the chair's arm and rested his forehead in his hand, projecting a pain he did not feel. Jane was beginning to stir.

... ...

Jane fought through what seemed like a thousand layers of cotton batting. She willed the grogginess away and sat up. Her son was sprawled on the floor and her nephew was half collapsed in his chair. He seemed to be in a great deal of pain. They had been restoring Tom's memories of the time of the betrayal. What had happened?

"What have you done to my bond mate?" An angry female burst into the room and dropped to her knees in front of Lewis, taking his face in her hands. "Lewis? Love, are you all right?"

She blinked as she watched the interaction. Lewis had a new mate? They'd said his memories had been restored, but this? Wait, she'd called him _love_? Jane frowned as the woman's energies belatedly registered on her senses. She was sapiens!

Lewis groaned. His hands moved to cover the woman's. "Keridwen? I'm fine, cherished."

"What happened?" the woman who was evidently Keridwen asked. "She hurt you, damn it."

"No, my own. Remember what happened when Tom tried to link with you to help me when my blocks were removed?"

"Yessss."

"That's what happened here, the feedback from Tom's emergence from the block struck us." That explained it, Jane thought. Lewis was far more gifted than she was, so he managed to retain consciousness. Tom, however…she looked to where her son lay on the floor. Had the removal of the block returned him to the catatonic state that had gripped him as they had begun to walk through the carnage left behind after the US soldiers had retreated?

"Oh. Is Tom okay?"

"I don't know. Let's find out, hmm?"

Jane looked back at the pair as they began to move. Lewis had absently tucked the…plump seemed the kindest word…female into his left side and was painfully making his way across the room. The woman…his mate? This Keridwen was supporting him, wincing each time his face reflected pain, even though she was not looking at him. She frowned; the woman had what appeared to be a mating scar…perhaps she really _was_ his bond mate. Interesting.

Tom rolled over with a groan. His head lifted and he looked warily around the room. "Mother?"

"Yes, Tom." Jane watched dispassionately as he struggled to his feet. Lewis' female reached out to steady her son as his balance wavered.

"Why?" Tom asked.

She knew what he was asking. "For survival."

"Jason and Mary did not survive."

"No. They were not Chosen. It was more important that you survive."

"And you, too, of course."

"Of course. I was a proven bearer, in my prime."

"I'll never forgive you for their deaths."

"I don't need your forgiveness, Tom. The council approved my actions," she told him, certain that both he and Lewis were still too shaken up to read the lie.

"I don't approve of the council."

Her shrug was deliberately casual. "Your choice."

... ...

Keri fought her urge to slug the bitch. Even now, Jane was lying to her son, trying to make him feel as though he was the one with the problem. From the anger that briefly suffused Tom's aura before he regained control, he at least realized that his mother was still trying to manipulate him. She forced herself to get back to the script.

"Tom, can you remember everything?" Keri asked.

"Yes. It's…it's all there." He shivered a bit, and then bowed his head. Suddenly he straightened, lifted his chin and stared arrogantly at his mother. "I am Chosen, and my time is at hand."

"Our time, cousin," Lewis interjected.

Tom smiled, slowly, one brow rose in a sardonic arch that he had certainly learned from Lewis. "Yes, our time. What _shall_ we do with it?"

"Choose, of course."

Keri took her cue and moved to press herself full length against Lewis. "Choose what, love?" she asked, injecting curiosity into her voice and her aura.

"Life, my own. On our terms. The council has ignored the prophecy…a grave error on their part. Our people will follow the Chosen."

"I thought the whole point of a prophecy was to prepare for what would come," she said in an ingenuous tone. "If your people made such a big deal out of these prophecies…I mean, they tattooed you, for god's sake…why would they ignore it?"

"A very good question. Perhaps their power corrupted them."

"Hmm. They won't hurt my baby, will they?"

Jane's eyes grew wide and Keri suppressed a smirk as the dominant woman stood, glanced at Lewis and then down at Keri's arm…curled protectively over her abdomen, and up at Lewis again.

"Of course not, cherished. We are bond mates. Our people need your healing gifts in the gene pool. They are bound by our laws to protect us and our baby."

"But they left you to die, and they ordered you to kill Tom and you're both Chosen."

"That is an entirely different matter. The people are _advised_ to follow the Chosen of the prophecies in order to ensure our survival. It is not a matter of law."

... ...

The council had ordered her to kill Lewis if the opportunity arose. Jane repressed a shiver. A matter of law, indeed. Anyone who harmed a member of a bonded pair was subject to immediate execution, even if the damage was done to them in self-defense. Well, unless they were past breeding age as a couple. Then the law no longer applied to them, though any fertile offspring were still protected. Lewis had several decades left, but the female, who was not as plump as she had first appeared once the pregnancy was taken into consideration…perhaps had twelve years if she had correctly estimated the sapiens' age. The council would have to be patient and hope they could ride out Lewis' bid for power. They could still target Tom, surely that would cripple Lewis' plans. He couldn't have that much of a following at this point.

The door to the living room opened and a tall male entered. From the way he moved the dark skinned man had to be one of their people, but she couldn't pick up much from him. But then he hadn't been subject to the feedback, so his shields were likely intact and most of her gifts were latent at the best of times. "Lewis, the operation was a success. The rest of my men have been liberated with no casualties."

"Excellent, Karl. Do we have room for them here, or will we need to direct them to another facility?"

"Robert will take them to the NorCal estate, there's more room available there."

"Robert who?" Tom asked.

"Stevens. You remember him, don't you?"

"Yes…_now_ I do. We had several joint assignments."

Jane blinked. Robert Stevens? Damn, Lewis had been preparing for this for quite some time…he'd evidently faked chameleon deaths…the council needed to hear about this immediately. "Lewis, are we finished here?" she asked.

Her nephew turned his attention to her, and stared, his blue eyes had an arctic chill. "Are you in a hurry?" he asked mildly when she began to fidget in spite of her attempt to stand her ground.

"I would like to return to my home before my absence becomes suspicious. All of your blood relatives are watched, you know, especially those of us who are on good terms with you."

"Hmm, so I'm told." He turned his back on her. "Has Alexa completed that analysis?" he asked Karl.

"Yes, it's ready for you."

Alexa? Of course, his eldest would join him. Another chameleon…she _had_ to warn the council. "Lewis…" she broke off as he favored her with another cold glare.

"I will examine Tom to be sure you've done him no harm; then I will have my soldiers return you to your vehicle. I trust that meets with your approval?" he asked.

She winced at the sarcasm. "Of course."

... ...

Tom gripped the doorframe as the step van pulled down the drive. He jumped a bit when he felt splinters spike into his hand as the wood gave way. Stupid. He'd released his grip before any blood got onto the frame, but it had been close. They were to leave no provable sign of their ever having been here. He shoved his hand in his pocket and walked outside.

"The truck should be here in about five minutes," Lewis told him. "We'll stay until they're ready to move out with the props." He nodded. "Tom, what's wrong?"

Shrugging, he turned to face his cousin…his mentor. There was a look of genuine concern on the older man's face. If Lewis had been a sapiens, he'd say that it was a caring look. "I'm fine."

Lewis snorted. "Fine, hmm? Must I have Keridwen read you?"

"What makes you think she can read past my shields? You did teach me, if you recall."

"Of course. Keridwen could read past my day to day shields even _before_ we bonded. I don't believe she'll have any problems with yours."

Tom closed his mouth as soon as he realized that his jaw had dropped. "I thought she was just a healer...well, not that being a healer, let alone a mind healer is _just_ anything."

"No." Lewis frowned and looked to where his mate sat curled up in the armchair, just out of sapiens hearing range. "She's far more than even that."

"Ah, so that's why you attempted the bond with her." He nodded to himself, one mystery solved.

"Hardly."

"What?"

Lewis shrugged. "I find that I cannot oppose your plans to attempt a bond with Dr. Parker. I…there was something about Keridwen; her caring, her courage…her nobility, which called to me. As exasperated as I was with her, I wanted her before we even left her cousin's facility. And yet, when I first had the opportunity to seduce her, I decided against it. I felt she deserved more than I could give her."

Tom felt almost dizzy. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You'd already fallen in love with her," he accused.

Lewis met his eyes and Tom was shocked at the vulnerability he saw. This was not the Lewis he knew…had grown to manhood with. "Tom, the only thing I know about love is that what she feels for me is no less and no more than what I feel for her. She calls that feeling love. So, yes, I loved her, even then."

"I…see."

"Do you?" Lewis chuckled wryly. "I'm glad one of us does." He sighed again. "What I'm saying is that I can hardly fault you for becoming…attached without a bond, when I am equally guilty." Tom nodded. It was going to be all right, even if he and Sloan couldn't achieve a bond. Lewis would accept Sloan as his cousin's life-mate. "Keridwen is, however, far superior a female to Dr. Parker."

Struggling not to grin, Tom met Lewis' challenging stare. "Of course."

**ELSEWHERE**

Anja whimpered softly after waking from a deep sleep. She'd been away too long, and Damien had been overly enthusiastic about having her back. The man had stamina a bull would be proud of…not to mention the equipment. They'd coupled for hours, until she could literally no longer move. Then he'd tucked her into his side and allowed her to fall asleep. He was sleeping now. She sat up carefully and winced. Her entire vulva ached. It had been fun, though. Inching forward on her buttocks, she finally reached the edge of the bed and slid off it until her feet hit the floor. She gave the bed her best glare; the frame was antique and high set. As a result she literally had to climb in and out of the damn thing. Damien didn't care. With his height and long legs he could manage it with comfort.

Sighing, she headed for the bathroom. A splash of red caught her eye and she stared at the photograph displayed on the wall. That hadn't been there the last time she was here. She looked more closely. It depicted Damien and several other men in the distinctive uniform of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Anja clapped a hand over her mouth. It would not do to laugh…Damien would be very irritated by any amusement she showed over the profession he had followed as a young chameleon living among the sapiens. She ducked quickly into the bathroom as she heard him begin to stir. He was on the phone when she emerged. His hair was standing on end where he'd evidently run his fingers through it. Chuckling, she climbed back on the bed and smoothed it down, playing the attentive lover to the hilt.

Damien's left eyebrow rose and he pulled her onto his lap. "No, you are not to do anything with them. They are to be held safe and unharmed until we are ready to use them as bait." He absently stroked her breasts with his free hand and nuzzled her temple. "Yes, I realize the mother is being difficult. You have a life-mate, how would she react if someone incarcerated her and one of her young offspring and separated them?"

Anja stifled her interest. Some female and her child were incarcerated and the council intended to use them as bait. Bait for whom?

"Of course sapiens females are fierce when it comes to their young." Damien sighed, sounding exasperated. "Theo, we are all descended from sapiens. There are many similarities. A mother's instinct to protect her young is almost universal." He shook his head and then looked down at her, evidently sensing her curiosity. Damn. "Put the woman and her son in the same room. If she is with the boy and she does not feel he is being immediately threatened there is less likelihood that she will attempt something foolish and cost us our advantage, yes?" Damien turned off the phone and dropped it carelessly on the night table. "Idiots."

"Who you trying to lure with your bait?" she asked.

He stared at her a moment, and then shrugged. "The scientists that were harboring the fugitive chameleon; the woman is the wife of their security officer."

"Oh. A fortunate break that you found them."

"No, merely good planning." His hand moved to lazily stroke her swollen labia. She moaned, not daring to pull away. His amusement washed over her. "No, little one. I will make no further demands on you this visit. You need to be capable of riding your motorcycle tomorrow…I have a delivery for you to make.


	7. Chapter 7

This was nuts, Caryn decided. It just didn't make sense. Two of the three subjects with the abnormal EEGs had PSI gifts. The third didn't. Period. Why not? That EEG was the least different of the three from sapiens norm, so why was the DNA differential 1.17%, almost as high as Keri's 1.19%? She wished David were here. He'd had access to the testing done on Lewis and some of the earlier captive dominants. Maybe he'd see what she was missing. But David was in LA helping the combined NSA and FBI Task Force look into Danielle Ashton's activities. Since she had been under the auspices of the CIA, the civilian head of the Intelligence Community, Director of Central Intelligence Gerald Thomas, had ordered an inter-agency investigation.

Caryn sighed. Carla wasn't due back here until the wedding. The only other M.D., ah, no. She couldn't very well involve Ed without alarming him. After all, it might be nothing…a misinterpretation, bad research on her part. No, she definitely couldn't involve Ed. She let her mind drift; hoping a solution would present itself. The wedding was shaping up nicely. Before he and Mr. Peterson had left for LA, Walter had given them the name of a minister who could be counted on to be discreet. Discreet, yeah, right. Walter had hinted that the man was the religious contact of choice for funerals, weddings, and such with a covert ops group he knew. Oh well, _they_ were a 'covert ops group' too, in a manner of speaking.

When Anja returned they'd go and get the final fittings for their dresses. She'd been drafted as maid of honor…Caryn thought Keri's surrogate sibling was secretly pleased at the idea, but she'd sure grumbled a lot about it. Keri had chosen to have a mid-afternoon wedding, but the dresses were definitely eveningwear. She couldn't wait until Jeff saw her in hers.

Keri was _not _wearing white. She'd absolutely refused. First wedding or not, she'd told everyone it was ridiculous to be wearing a white wedding gown at age thirty-nine. Caryn grinned. Keri had confided to her that the real reason was that she looked hideous in white. Her ivory complexion was totally washed out when she wore anything that light. The sapphire hued dress she'd had made was gorgeous. The under-dress, which could be worn solo as an evening gown later, had a sweetheart neckline; a high gathered waist, and spaghetti straps. The lace over-tunic in the same color was interspersed with gold threads and had a high neck, bishop sleeves and a handkerchief hemline that dropped just below her knees.

Anja's matching dress was royal blue with silver threads and Caryn and Sloan's were periwinkle. The two bridesmaids' dresses did not have the over-tunic, which was fine with Caryn. The last thing she wanted was a fussy lacey look. She had enough problems without doing the pseudo-southern belle thing. The maid of honor had bitched about the lace, but it looked wonderful on her. You'd never guess that she was capable of mass mayhem when she was wearing it.

Lewis was going to wear a pearl gray tux. Not a rental, either. He actually owned several. Tom, the best man, would also be wearing a tux, as would the other groom's men Jeff and Ed, but theirs were being rented. She fought down a giggle remembering Ed's expression when Lewis had invited him to be part of the wedding party. Lewis had insisted it was a matter of numbers…there was one dominant among the bride's attendants, so there should be one sapiens among the groom's. But those 'numbers' were in question now. Was Ed any more a sapiens than Keri was? Caryn dropped her head down on her folded arms where they rested on the counter a few inches away from her untouched morning mug of coffee with hazelnut flavored cream and the plate that held her bagel and apple. It would have to remain a mystery until David or Carla returned.

... ...

Ed looked around the kitchen. No sign that Alexa had been here yet. He poured his coffee, grabbed a chunk of corn bread and hastily dropped it onto a plate. The cook had evidently just pulled it from the oven. He grinned and slathered it with the honey butter that had been thoughtfully left out to soften and then carried his plate and mug over to the table and dug in. He'd been coming downstairs early on a regular basis now, supposedly to get in a run before it got too hot. But to tell the truth, he was really enjoying his talks with Alexa. She challenged him, and not just on an intellectual level. Her cutting comments really made him think about how he lived…the choices he had made. What he really wanted was to get to know _her _better. Small chance of that. Despite her loyalty to the coexistence faction, Alexa seemed to only tolerate sapiens. She was even dismissive of Keri Ashton. Ed stifled a groan and took another gulp of his coffee.

"Good morning," Alexa said as the kitchen door swung closed behind her. Ed nearly choked. The tall chameleon was wearing red running shorts and one of those midriff baring sports tops that doubled as a bra. Her feet were shod in top of the line Nikes and white athletic socks that folded neatly around her ankles. "Is something wrong?"

"Ah, no. That is…you're usually wearing, ah…more." Oh smooth, Ed, he told himself. _Real _smooth.

Her eyebrow rose and one corner of her mouth turned up in a tiny grin. "Well, I thought I'd do a bit of running this morning. You won't mind the company, will you?"

His eyes widened. "No, not at all. Company is great."

She glanced at his empty plate and mug as she drank down a tall glass of orange juice. "I'll try not to leave you too far in the dust," she said when she was done.

He shook his head, fighting a grin of his own. "That may not be quite as easy as you think. I was a track star, you know."

"A star, huh. But in comparison to what?"

"Right." That did it, he thought. He was going to keep up or bust something trying.

... ...

Sloan stared out over the lawn as she sipped tea on her balcony. The new suite had a tiny kitchenette…really just a sink over one of those under the counter refrigerators with a small freezer box, and two electric stove elements over a small cabinet that held dishes for four and a couple of small pots and pans. To the side was a coffee maker. A toaster oven and can opener hung under the shelf that held a microwave. Tom had explained that the set up was to allow the higher-ranking chameleons a bit more privacy than living in the facility otherwise afforded. Privacy had evidently been at a premium in the Nevada facility.

He'd returned late last night. The rumbling engine of the truck carrying furniture borrowed for the 'sting' had alerted her and she'd thrown herself at him as he entered their sitting room. She'd been more than a bit disappointed when he'd gently set her aside and told her he needed to sleep. Munching on one of the muffins she'd appropriated from the main kitchen last night, she turned to watch him. He'd agreed to take the bed for a change, while she slept on the chaise. "Guess you were really tired," she half whispered.

His hair was growing longer. Surprisingly, the longer it got, the lighter it appeared. Originally she'd thought his hair darker than Ed's mink color, but actually it was a golden brown. She'd bet that it got almost as blonde as his cousin Jeff's when he spent more time in the sun. "Sloan?"

"Good morning."

He smiled at her, slowly. Her heart skipped a beat. He did have the most gorgeous smile. "Join me?" he suggested. Sloan forced herself to casually set her cup in the sink before she crossed the room. His smile grew wider as she reached the bed and sat down on the edge. Her heartbeat grew erratic again as he lifted the covers to invite her in. "Just for a little while," he clarified evidently picking up on her confusion.

"Oh," she said, crawling in beside him.

"I got a lot of control techniques back with my memories," he explained. "I'd lost most of the basic ones we learn as children and without them the more advanced techniques are crippled." Tom shook his head. "Since Lewis wasn't functional at that time either, he didn't know he needed to re-teach me the basic techniques."

"Sounds like no one really thought it all out."

"No. They didn't." He sighed, a far off look in his blue-gray eyes. "But they had just lost over nine thousand people in a vicious massacre. I think they were desperate not to lose us as well and were ready to try anything and everything without worrying about future consequences."

"Are you and Lewis the only two Chosen?"

"We're the only two survivors for this particular prophecy. One died during the betrayal, and another died in LA, you found his bed."

"Ah yes, those beds. You told me about them last week." She punched him on the arm playfully as he grinned. "Why go to all that trouble over a status symbol?" she asked.

"Well, not _just_ a status symbol. The lights do have therapeutic value. It's just the design that was exclusive."

"Humph."

Tom chuckled and pulled her into his embrace. "Well, well. Something that you and Lewis agree on, amazing." Sloan frowned and looked up at him. "He thinks they're pretentious at best, and dangerous. There's a potential for awkward questions if they're seen. I never really knew why I had it or what it meant until he started restoring my more recent memories. Even though the lights can be set up as freestanding lamps, Mother had insisted I have the bed so that the design could be used. My being Chosen meant a lot to her."

"I'm sorry," she murmured, and rubbed her cheek against his collarbone.

Tom sighed and kissed her forehead. "Thank you." She felt his arms tighten around her. "It means so much to me that you understand."

... ...

Alexa grinned and kicked up the pace a notch. Tate had seemed to have no difficulty in matching her easy loping stride during the past mile. But could he keep up when she began to edge toward a full-out run? It took another quarter mile before his breathing started to reflect effort. He was still matching her, stride for stride; time to really start running. He kicked in and stuck to her heels. She half turned without slowing. "Not bad, not bad at all," she called out.

"Thanks," he said between carefully measured breaths. "So when do we really start running?" Her jaw dropped. Of all the arrogant…she nodded sharply and got back to it. While the new pace was not what _she_ would consider a sprint, it was record setting for any distance by sapiens standards. "All right," he gasped, still beside her and to her left as another quarter mile was completed.

She shook her head. He really shouldn't be able to do this. Well, he would certainly have to back down soon. Their feet pounded the path around the inside edge of the property. Thanks to Lewis' carefully designed landscaping; the running area was always in shade, an absolute necessity given the unforgiving Fresno sun. Alexa frowned as they approached the next quarter mile mark. Ed's breathing was finally becoming labored, but she'd been keeping to a pace suited for a sapiens running a four hundred-meter world record…and they'd already covered at least eight hundred meters at that speed. He must have been one hellof a track star.

The man's breath was really coming hard now, but he was sticking with her. She cast a suspicious glance at him. Determination was flowing off of him in waves. Ed Tate was trying to impress her! It was time to cut back before he hurt himself. Before they reached the quarter mile marker again, she'd slowed them to a leisurely jog and then down to a walk as they passed it. She watched surreptitiously while he stretched out his long muscles as they cooled down, very aware that he was returning the regard. Her lips pursed with mischief. "You like what you see?" she asked.

He stopped, bent over, and rested his hands on his knees, stretching out his back. "Oh, yeah." Ed took several long deep breaths, and then looked up through his untidy mop of hair. "How about you?"

Alexa straightened abruptly. A light sheen of sweat covered the man's body. His shorts clung to a tight and well-shaped ass, and his t-shirt was stretched across broad muscled shoulders. Her gaze finally came to rest on the humor and intelligence shining from his dark eyes. "Yes," she admitted. "Definitely."

... ...

Amy sighed and scattered the course catalogs across the blankets. There were so many choices and no one was being very helpful. She looked up as feet pounded past on the running track. Alexa was almost flying past, with Ed close on her heels. "Great. Have fun. Don't help me." Groaning, she picked up the Fresno State University catalog again. They offered up through Masters Degree programs in Linguistics and Computer Sciences, her two top choices.

Ed had suggested computer sciences, Keri, linguistics. Bets had just shrugged and given her a funny look. Finally she'd dared to approach Lewis. He'd told her the choice was hers. She sighed again, remembering; then gulped as one of the soldiers walked past. "Damn," she muttered. Amy found herself staring at his crotch. She'd been doing her own private 'research'. So far as she could tell without asking them to strip and using a tape measure, the dominant males were a good deal larger, on average, than humans…genitalia-wise. Of course, she couldn't be _positive, _she'd only actually seen one…and she couldn't very well ask them to line up and drop their pants. Picturing the reactions that request would get; she laughed out loud.

"I'm so pleased I've amused you," an accented voice said dryly.

Amy flushed as she looked up to find Erik much closer than she had thought. "Uh…it's just, um…" she scrambled for an excuse. "I've been staring at all of the course catalogs for so long, trying to choose a major…I guess it's getting to me."

"I see." He turned and started to walk away.

"Hey, wait a minute!" She grabbed the CSUF catalog and trotted after him. "Maybe you could help me?" she asked as he turned back.

"With what?"

"Well, I'm trying to choose between Computer Sciences and Linguistics for my major. If you were just starting college, which would you choose?"

Erik frowned. "Why choose? Study both."

"Oh right. They aren't even related."

"Of course they are; they require the same basic skills."

"Huh?"

"An analytical mind, a good eye, a good memory, and good intuition."

"Hmm. I don't know; they don't share many required courses so that would be an awfully heavy load."

His eyebrows rose. "Ah, well. You are sapiens; your learning capacity is crippled compared to ours."

"Crippled? _Excuse_ me?" Amy glared at him, folding her arms across her chest.

He shrugged. "It's scientific fact, your nervous system is not as efficient as ours."

"That doesn't mean you're any more intelligent than we are."

"Doesn't it?"

"Hey, soldier boy. I'll match brains with _you_ any day. You set the test and _I'll_ be there."

"Intelligence tests are useless," he told her and began to walk away.

"Says you!" She snorted and dropped back down onto the blanket and gathered up the course catalogs. "Humph. I'll show you, you snot. Linguistics _and_ Computer Sciences, it is."

... ...

"And how is my favorite scientist this afternoon?" Jeffrey asked as he slipped into the lab to find Caryn working alone yet again.

She looked up from the stack of books she was carrying and smiled. "Could be better," she told him. "Any word on when David's coming back? I need an M.D. opinion."

"Tate's won't do?" he asked, taking the books from her and setting them on the shelf she directed him to.

"Weellll." She looked around the lab and then walked to the door to peer down into the garage. "Honestly, Jeff. I don't think he'd take it very well."

Jeffrey could feel his eyebrows rising involuntarily. "Take what?"

"What can you tell me about those people like Keri, you know, that have that spontaneous adaptation?"

He shrugged. "Not a lot that you haven't already heard."

"Is it always just the PSI abilities?"

"No, of course not. There are those who manifest the physical adaptations…or I should say; part of them. The full physical adaptations don't occur without the PSI abilities. The nervous system only partially adapts with either."

"So, someone with the physical adaptation would have some nervous system differences too?"

"Yes, but not as much as one with the PSI gifts, that's where the bulk of the nervous system difference comes into play."

"Okay, how can I tell if someone has the physical adaptation?"

"You think that Ed…"

"Well, hon, he's got a 1.17 differential, but his EEG doesn't pack nearly the punch that Keri's does."

"Curious."

"Isn't it?"

He nodded slowly. "Alexa just told me that she went running with Ed this morning…and that he put on a performance that was remarkable for a sapiens."

"And so?"

"Huh?"

She sighed; he could feel her becoming exasperated. "What kind of tests can I run?"

"Oh. Well, you need to look at his musculature, the density and some of the actual structural changes. Concentrate that study on the shoulders; that's where it's most obvious. And look at the skull, the channel for the carotid artery is different, hmm." He frowned in thought for a minute, and then grinned as she gave him a grateful smile. "Ah, yes. You can also check his teeth." He smirked as she stared at him with an odd expression.

"What, look the gift horse in the mouth?"

Jeffrey chuckled. "Pretty much. Check for third molar agenesis." She frowned and he pulled her into his arms. "I promise, I brushed after lunch," he told her, and opened his mouth to show her his teeth.

"So you got your wisdom teeth out."

"Nope, never had any. Very few of us ever do. Now, that happens in pure sapiens, too, however infrequently, so that's not proof in and of itself but it's certainly a sign to look further. But what I really wanted you to notice was the molars. Sapiens normally have a third set."

"Honey, do I look like a dentist to you? What kind of excuse can I use to look inside his mouth?"

He smiled, and wrapped his arms firmly around her waist. "Now is that a Texas girl's habit, or do you mean something when you call me honey?"

Caryn blushed, but managed to look him in the eye. "Why don't you spend some time with me tonight and find out?"

"It will be my pleasure," he told her. And hers too if he had any say in the matter, he thought.

... ...

Anja snarled as she gunned the Hayabusa down Interstate 5. It was just as well that there was no way to tell the faction about Damien's captives without him knowing that she was responsible. The only way in hell she'd go back there would be to kill him. How dare he treat her like a breeder? She was a courier, a highly trained operative, not a womb on two legs! The most irritating thing was that he was so damned proud of himself. Humph. As if impregnating a fertile female was all that damned difficult.

"Scheisse," Anja hissed between clenched teeth. She hadn't been able to refuse him, she'd let him believe that she admired him and was attracted to him. Admired him, ha! There was no way she would have his offspring, even if her last pregnancy hadn't been so horrible. No, she was not going through that horror again, especially for one such as him. If none of the faction's doctors would help her…she'd have to find another way…steal a dose of that RU 486 abortion pill, or something. No, David would help her, she was sure of it.

The wail of a siren caught her attention. She checked the speedometer. Hmm, 105mph, no wonder they'd noticed her. Grimacing, Anja throttled up and cursed Damien and the council at the top of her lungs as she prepared to lose the pair of CHP motorcycles on her tail.

... ...

Lewis looked up from his computer as he heard the door to their suite close behind his mate. She was alone, he could tell. He got up and slipped out of the hidden study, smiling as he saw her drop two foot shaped pink objects into the trashcan, toss her shoes in the general direction of the closet and then drop down onto the chaise with a sigh. She seemed inordinately pleased with herself. "Where have you been, cherished?" he asked as he looked into the trashcan. The pink objects proved to be some sort of disposable slippers.

She flushed guiltily. "Uh, at a nail salon."

His eyebrow rose involuntarily. He had to remember to control that habit; it made him far too easy to read. "Not alone, I trust?" He hadn't had the opportunity to assign a bodyguard yet. While he'd promised to train Anja to serve in that capacity, the courier had not yet returned. His other eyebrow rose as she shifted in the seat and walked her bare feet up his thighs until they came to rest on his abdomen. Her toenails were once again the bright red shade he remembered from their first mating in that motel room.

"Of course not alone; Alexa went with me, and Erik drove us." Keridwen wiggled her fingers at him; showing off the long acrylic-coated nails done in a 'French manicure' style.

"Very nice," he approved.

"Thank you." Her lips twitched and her eyes sparkled more than usual.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"Me? Nothing," she said, her eyes widening in mock innocence.

"Keridwen…"

His mate chuckled, and tapped his stomach playfully with her feet. "I insisted that Alexa get hers done too, so that she'd blend in."

"I see."

"She got the sport length with pink and whites…they look really natural even if you don't polish them," she explained. "It looks really nice."

"Hmm." He frowned as she suppressed a giggle. "What else?"

Keridwen laughed out loud. "Well, I'd reserved the entire salon for a couple of hours, to make it easier for security. They shut the blinds, put up the closed sign…"

Lewis frowned. "Don't tell me you insisted Erik get a manicure?"

"No, don't be silly. But Alexa got a spa pedicure too. You should have seen it. She was very suspicious, but she really got into after a while."

"Uh huh."

"Hey, don't knock it until you've tried it. You sit in a massage chair, there's a whirlpool bath for your feet; it's marvelous." He shook his head. Picturing one of his chameleons with red toenails was more than a bit difficult. "She did wimp out a bit though. Only got clear polish on her toes. I tried to talk her into pink, but she got stubborn. Takes after her sire."

"Thank creation. I don't think the world is ready for a chameleon with pink toenails," he commented dryly, took Keridwen's feet in his hands, and kissed the top of the arches.

"Humph. Party pooper."

He moved her legs to the side, scooped her up and set her down on her feet. "It's time to get dressed for dinner, my own."

"Okay." She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly before heading off for the closet.

... ...

Caryn cursed softly as the catch of her necklace slipped from her fingers for the fourth time. She pulled back the spring ring with the nail of her index finger again. "No, oh damn it," she muttered as a knock on the door startled her and she lost the ring again. "Come in," she called.

Jeff smiled as he stepped in through the door. "Ready?"

"I will be just as soon as I get this damned necklace on."

"Let me." He gently removed the chain from her hands and then moved behind her.

She smiled and lifted her hair, shivering a bit as she felt his fingers brush her nape. "Thank you," Caryn said, then shivered again as Jeff's lips replaced his fingertips.

"You're quite welcome," he chuckled. "Shall we go?"

"Sure." She let her hair drop, blushing at the sudden urge she had to tell him that they should forget about going out and just jump into bed. Where had that thought come from? Okay, she knew where it came from, but it wasn't like her, not at all.

... ...

Mark frowned as he hung up the phone. The council had Peterson's wife and son; this was bad. He debated briefing Lewis, but decided that could wait until after dinner. Picking up the phone again, he punched the speed dial code for Dr. Attwood's cell phone.

"Attwood."

"It's Mark. We've located Mr. Peterson's family. They've been moved north."

"Your people have them?"

"Yes. The council intends to use them as bait."

"Damn."

"I'll brief Lewis; he has more extensive knowledge of the Council than my people do. Perhaps he will be willing to plan the recovery operation."

"If not, I was able to reestablish a few contacts that would be willing to handle it…for a price. We would need thorough schematics though."

"That shouldn't be difficult. I'd rather not go the mercenary route, though. They can be…problematic. They'd also have to be tested. There are chameleon-led teams of dominant soldiers out there posing as mercenaries."

"I wasn't aware of that."

"My apologies doctor, but until now, you didn't need to know."

"I see." There was a brief silence. "We'll stand down on our search here and return tomorrow."

"Excellent. I'll have briefing materials available then." Mark dropped the phone back into its cradle and headed down to dinner.

... ...

Jeffrey smiled as he handed Caryn out of the Mercedes. They'd enjoyed a quiet dinner, a few drinks, some dancing, and had mutually agreed to make it an early night. Hopefully her reasons for wanting to return were the same as his. She looked up at him; her unusual blue-green eyes were shining. Her lips curved up sensually as he slipped his arm around her waist and led her towards the house. Yes, this would be the night, he thought.

They'd climbed the stairs in silence and had just reached the second floor when he heard the door to the study open. "Good, you're back. We've got a situation and your input is needed," Mark said from the main floor.

Jeffrey suppressed a groan, his eyes closing in frustration. When he opened them, Caryn was looking up at him, obviously _not_ happy. "I'm sorry," he told her. She had no idea just _how_ sorry he was.

"That's…okaaay." The word dragged out as though she was reluctant to let it escape. "I had a lovely evenin', really." He winced. Definitely not happy, her accent was slipping out. "Ah, Ah'll see you later?" she half asked.

Sighing, he shook his head. "I've no idea what's going on. I'm so sorry."

Caryn sighed as well. "Well, good night then."

"Good night." He took half a step away, then turned back to catch her lips in a deep kiss. She gasped and then wrapped her arms around him, returning the kiss passionately.

"Whenever you're ready, Jeffrey," Mark called out.

Caryn pulled back. "Guess they're gettin' a bit impatient."

"A bit. I, ah, damn it. Good night, Caryn, I truly am sorry."

"Ah know. Good night."

He glowered as he trotted down the stairs. This had better be good, he thought.

... ...

"Damn, damn, and dayum," Caryn muttered as she stomped into her room. "Why tonight? The damn man finally gets around to making his move and they have a _situation_." She slammed her tiny purse down on the chair. "Damn it!" She stomped her way through her shower, brushed her teeth and dried her hair. Her temper was just starting to settle down as she reached into her dresser drawer and found the mint green silk peignoir set that Keri had insisted on buying for her on their last trip to the specialty shop that was working on their dresses.

Caryn stopped then looked up at the connecting door that sat behind the cheval mirror. Her lips pursed in thought. "Hmm. Maybe…" Deciding to act instead of think, she grabbed the filmy nightdress and slipped it on, ignoring the almost equally transparent robe. She opened her underwear drawer and her hand hovered over a ruffled thong, then she withdrew it. She shut the drawer decisively and headed for the connecting door.

Shivering with nervousness, she opened it. The room was dark, so she left the door open until she made her way to the bedside table and turned on a lamp. She looked around and saw a metal screen that held several dozen tea lights. While she was surprised that Jeff would have such a thing, she wasn't going to question it. A brief search produced a lighter and a brass device that held a wick used to light multiple candles. "Well, aren't you just full of surprises, hon," she whispered to herself. She lit the candles, closed the door, and then climbed into the bed, carefully arranging herself in what she hoped was a provocative but not too risqué pose. Caryn yawned. It had been over an hour…closer to two. How long were they going to take? She sighed and settled herself just a bit more comforta…

... ...

Jeffrey groaned. Three hours. Three damned _wasted_ hours. They hadn't really needed him there. Lewis was being quite helpful, and with the access he had enjoyed with the council, certainly had a hell of a lot more information to offer than he had. "Damn it," he snarled as he stalked up the stairs. Caryn had been so ready, he'd been sure of it. And now…now he'd have to backtrack. "Damn…" he muttered as he opened his door, then bit off the rest of the curse. The candle screen that he had bought as a surprise for Caryn was lit. He'd been so distracted by his annoyance that he hadn't felt the presence in his room. Jeffrey closed the door behind him and walked slowly over to the bed. He shook his head, smiling at the sight of the sleeping woman.

Her auburn hair shone in the candlelight, picking it up as though it too was aflame. A sheer light green gown accented her creamy skin. It was pulled up on the side, exposing a firm thigh and curved calf. Very nice, he thought. The material clung to her breasts, in the half-light he could just make out the shape of one nipple. Well, it looked like he wouldn't have to backtrack after all. He was smiling as he slipped into his bathroom for a quick shower. He kept it as quiet as possible, not wanting to wake Caryn until he was ready to join her. Toweling off, he debated putting on a pair of pajamas, then decided against it.

He moved into the bedroom and slid into the bed behind her. She had a wonderful scent. He wasn't sure if it was a perfume, lotion, or her shampoo, but it was light and fresh, with just a hint of rose. Slipping one arm under her, he pulled her into his embrace. Caryn turned and snuggled into his chest. He felt something catch in his throat as he tilted her head back and claimed her mouth in a gentle kiss. She moaned and her lips softened under his. Her hand slipped around his waist and began stroking his back. Jeffrey pulled back a bit as her eyes began to flutter open.

Those beautiful eyes widened as she looked up at him. He smiled and stroked her cheek. "I walked into my room, tired, annoyed, and found a beautiful gift waiting for me. May I unwrap her?"

She blushed, trailed her hand down his back, and as she realized the extent of his state of undress, blushed again. "Well, since mine's already unwrapped, guess you'd better hurry and catch up," she told him, her lips curving in an audacious grin.

He smiled back, and began to pull the silky gown up over her hips. Then _his_ eyes widened. The sheer green bit of cloth was the _only_ thing she was wearing. "Ah, Caryn. So sweet." Jeffrey slid his hands under the garment and up to cup her breasts. The full mounds were both soft and firm in his hands, and he squeezed them gently. She moaned and arched into his touch. He pulled the gown up and over her head and tossed it to the floor. He gazed at her for several long moments, appreciating her full curves, feminine and mature. Her eyes were questioning as his finally met them. "You're beautiful," he whispered. Her smile lit up her face and he found himself smiling back yet again as he leaned down to caress one of her mauve tipped breasts with his tongue.

"Oh, Jeff," she moaned as his mouth closed on her nipple, sucking softly but firmly as his other hand moved down her body, caressing and teasing. Caryn shuddered under his touch as his fingers reached her mons, cupping her, and parted the folds with his index and middle fingers to stroke firmly.

Her swiftness to reach arousal startled him, and he moved to accept her blatant invitation as her legs parted. Caryn's hands stroked his chest and moved down across his abdomen. She hesitated briefly when her fingers brushed his pubic hair, then she chuckled nervously and her hand closed around his already hard penis. He groaned at her touch, but forced himself to remain still, to allow her exploration. She smiled, and stroked his cock firmly. Her eyes fluttered; then she met his. He gave her a questioning look, not moving until she nodded. He groaned again as he pressed himself into her hot wet center. "Ah, damn, sweetheart." Jeffrey pressed her legs back, knelt between them, and began thrusting into her, gently at first, then picking up the pace as she relaxed into it.

His eyes narrowed as the sensations traveled through him. Her moans and slight whimpers excited him more than he'd thought possible. Her head was tossing as he began pumping in earnest. "Gawd, Jeff. Ah, honey, touch me…"

He obliged, rubbing her clitoris gently, smiling as her moans increased and her hips wriggled in pleasure. He groaned as she began to tighten around him, shrieking softly as she fell over the edge into orgasm. He let his control slip, pounding into her as she spasmed, then shouted his own pleasure as he came deep inside her. Jeffrey caught himself before dropping onto Caryn's soft form. He swallowed as he stroked her hair back from her face. She was breathing hard; her skin was damp. He shifted to his side and drew her back into his arms. "You okay, sweet one?"

She snuggled into his chest then looked up at him, her eyes shining. "Nope, not okay."

He waited. He could feel a slight wave of mischievousness from her.

"I'm marvelous!"

He chuckled, and hugged her close. "Yes, sweetheart, you are indeed."


	8. Chapter 8

Tom sighed as he climbed the two flights of stairs to his suite. He'd hoped to have the evening to himself…with Sloan, but the crisis du jour had intervened. Not that he begrudged the time to evaluate the situation. Matt and Grace Peterson were important to him; they had welcomed him and accepted him without question or hesitation when Ray had taken him to his home. They hadn't been able to come to any solution, though they had agreed that the sapiens were in no immediate danger. Anja's message had indicated that the council planned to use Ray's wife and son to lure him, and presumably the rest of the Whitney lab's 'A' team, into a trap. They wouldn't harm them until they'd proved to serve no purpose.

Ray and Walter had been called and advised to stay in Los Angeles and make themselves available for the council to contact them. Mark sent an additional team of soldiers south to assist with security since this would require the two to register at a hotel under their own names. "Tom." Lewis' voice drew him out of his musings. He turned to wait for his cousin to reach him. "We need to talk…"

"Can it wait? I'm sure you'd like to get back to your mate." And I'd like to make Sloan mine sometime this century, he thought with annoyance.

Lewis chuckled. "And you to yours? Ah, I forgot, you haven't taken her yet."

"As well you know."

"Seriously, Tom, I didn't mention it, but we may have an additional complication with the council. Damien is now the chairman...or was at the time I was incarcerated, I've heard nothing that changes that."

"That's not good. You'll have no influence there, in fact, just the opposite. Hmm, that's why you didn't suggest contacting them directly. I'd wondered."

"Yes, I thought you might."

"All right. I'll keep it in mind while I mull over the possibilities we _do_ have."

Lewis clapped him on the shoulder. "Good, and good night." He grinned suddenly. "Keridwen _is_ waiting, hmm, and still awake. Excellent."

Chuckling, Tom started down the hall to his suite. "Good night Lewis. Try and let the woman get _some_ sleep, hmm?"

"She'll be pleased to catch up on it in the morning," his cousin called after him.

Tom shook his head ruefully. Lewis was a fortunate man. While bond mates always seemed to work things out and managed to stabilize their relationships…and indeed even find happiness or at least contentment in those relationships, sexual compatibility was often an issue. Not that the sex wasn't enjoyable for them. From what he'd heard about it, even the most emotionally distant of bonded couples had incredible sex. But often one partner was far more interested in the act than the other which either resulted in one being sexually frustrated because of the sheer inability to enjoy extra-bond sex, or the other struggled to meet their mate's needs out of their regard for them. Lewis and Keri were like sapiens teenagers, constantly and happily enjoying their bodies and the pleasure they could bring. He grinned. Hopefully he and Sloan would have a similar degree of compatibility.

He stood outside his door and took a deep breath. Sloan was inside, sleeping, but not deeply. She'd likely wake on her own if he didn't make a serious effort at silence. Turning the knob slowly, he entered. A shower was in order before joining her. He wanted everything to be perfect for her, tonight of all nights. She was still asleep when he emerged from the bathroom, toweling dry his hair. It was getting a bit longer than he was used to and was tending to curl into his ear canal. Very annoying. He'd have to see about getting it cut, or perhaps just trimmed on the sides, Sloan seemed to like running her fingers through it.

Still naked he walked over to the small kitchen and opened the bread keeper. Good, the baguette was still in there. He tore it in half and put one part away and the other on a plate. A quick check of the refrigerator revealed some sharp cheddar cheese; Sloan's favorite. It too was added to the plate. One more thing…ah, yes, a bottle of wine. Any beverage would do for the ritual, even water, but since he had it…why not. Besides, he thought as a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth, he'd enjoy licking any excess from her skin.

Sloan was half-awake by the time he reached the bed. She stared uncomprehendingly as he set the plate on the nightstand on the empty side of it and climbed in beside her. Her eyes widened when she woke up enough to notice his state of undress. He stretched out on the bed and waited for her to look him over. As part of the ritual she had as much right to examine him as he did her. "Tom?" she said softly. "You're…naked."

He smiled. "Ever the observant scientist, Sloan?"

She blushed. "Well, it's kind of hard to miss…uh, no pun intended," she added as her eyes fell to his erection.

... ...

Sloan blinked slowly as she tried to wake up. Tom was in bed with her and he was wearing nothing but a slightly lopsided smile…was she dreaming? No. After all this time…were they finally going to be able to show their love for each other physically? She stared as he reached behind him. A moment later he was holding a small piece of bread to her lips. "Wha…?" she tried to ask.

"Shhh," he said, and nodded towards the bread.

Deciding to cooperate, she opened her mouth and let him feed her the bread. By the time she'd swallowed, he was holding out a bite of cheese. She ate that too. Although patience was not her strong suit, she waited silently as he turned away again. He sat up and poured something from a bottle into his cupped hand then dripped the red liquid into her mouth. Mm, Merlot…not bad. Her lips twitched as some of the wine dripped onto her neck; then she moaned as he sucked it off of her suddenly heated skin. Turning her head to the side to give him better access to her neck, Sloan gasped as she saw him move his gun…the one he'd told her was a 9mm, to her nightstand. He looked up at the sound, and nodded reassuringly.

"As I have provided for you, so will I protect you." His words were ritualistic and sincere…she relaxed. The last traces of the wine were gone now, and his hands were moving over her body, stroking, arousing, and possessing. She tried to remember what Keri had shown her…about connecting mind to mind, but couldn't seem to make the link. The memory of it was there, and strong, but she just couldn't open it herself. "Sloan," Tom said, his voice husky.

She opened her eyes and looked into his. The blue/gray irises were almost silver in this light…it was a hot, almost liquid silver, not a cold hard metallic color. Still, his inhumanity struck her and she shivered. How could someone like him want her? He deserved someone who could keep up with him…match him. She couldn't even use a link that someone else had set! How was she supposed to bond with him?

... ...

Tom frowned. The dismay emanating from Sloan at this point was disturbing, to say the least. He loved her…what was bothering her? He stared into her hazel eyes, searching through her emotions. There it was…a feeling of…inadequacy? Why would she think…? Oh, this was not good. He kissed her full lips, stroking deep inside with his tongue until she began to moan. Pulling away slightly, he concentrated and allowed his need and desire for her to surface, channeling the emotions and pushing them to wash over her. Next he gathered his admiration for her…for her intelligence, her compassion, her humanity, and pushed that as well.

"Tom?"

"Can you feel that, Sloan?" he asked. He waited, barely able to breathe, until she nodded. "Being human…sapiens…that's what I love most about you. You've changed me…with your compassion, your courage, your passion. All things I didn't understand before you came into my life."

"Oh…Tom."

He slipped his hand between her legs, parted her thighs, and then began to stroke her pubis…lightly teasing her clitoris and then sliding a finger, then two, into her canal to thrust gently. She began to moan again and arched her back in pleasure. Something suddenly occurred to him. "Sloan?"

"Yes?"

"Remember how you came to me when I needed you most? When I faced my fears and memories?"

"Yes, but Keri and Lewis did that…not me, I'm not good enough."

"You are incredible, you just don't have _that_ particular skill; it's okay. Just let me come to you. Relax and remember how it was to be in my mind."

"Okay," she said in a small voice.

This should help…Lewis had told him that he and Keri were already connected somehow before they bonded. He reached for the link that he knew was still there…yes. Gently and carefully he opened it, ready for Sloan to recoil in shock…but she didn't. She opened to him, welcomed him into her mind. Oh yes. Sloan gasped as he resumed arousing her. He kissed her again, this time letting his pride in her love for him flow through the link. Nuzzling her cheek, he worked his way down to the throbbing vein in her neck. "Oh God, Tom," she moaned as he nipped it lightly. "As I provide for you and protect you, so shall I cherish you," he whispered into her ear. He smiled as he felt a rush of hope and acceptance run through her. She believed!

Her moans were almost constant now as his fingers brought her to the edge of orgasm. He moved into place, spreading her legs further, pushing them up and back as he settled between them. He groaned as he slid into her tight warmth. Her half-sob almost undid him as her hands clutched him closer.

... ...

"As I provide for you, protect you, and cherish you, I offer myself to you," he told her as he began to thrust, gently at first, then with urgency as their passion flamed.

Sloan sobbed his name as Tom began to thrust inside her. She'd dreamed of this moment with him, but nothing had prepared her for how…intimate it was. She felt like she was part of him…it had never been this way with anyone else. His love…her love…their love, it was all one somehow. He groaned as she wrapped her legs around his hips, determined to pull him closer. God, he was so…he made her feel so full, so…she couldn't describe it. His teeth closed on her throat again…it was so arousing, frightening in a way, those teeth were very sharp as she'd discovered in a deep kiss the night before. She could feel the sensations building at her core. Almost there, it felt so very good…she moaned as the teeth dug into her neck.

"Mine," Tom said insistently, his voice almost a growl against her throat.

Oh God. She shivered at the primal claim, a feeling of possession washed over her. "Tom…"

This time he did growl. "Mine!"

No. Not possession, a feeling of homecoming. She was his…she was…"Yours," she screamed as she exploded into orgasm.

... ...

Tom bit down, hard, as she acknowledged his claim. Her blood was salty in his mouth, but nothing had ever tasted so sweet. He moaned when her orgasm washed over him, then gasped as he realized he was feeling it from her point of view. It was as though he was her…that it was his vagina being invaded, his canal contracting around a thrusting cock. It was…incredible, he thought as he began to come inside her/them.

Sloan was sobbing, muttering "Oh God, so beautiful", over and over again as she rocked beneath him. He could feel her shock through the link…no, the bond. That tentative link had opened into something so…complete and all encompassing that it frightened him to think about it. She was as much him as he was her…he could feel her fears, her hopes, her dreams.

It was perfect…better than he'd even dared hope. And they had done it! He gasped at the enormity of it all. They had bonded, they were one…sapiens and dominants could be together as one!

... ...

"So what was so important?" Keridwen asked as Lewis closed their door behind him. He smiled at her playful pout. "I've been waiting for over three hours…" she broke off as he kissed her into silence.

"I know you've been waiting, my own. It was important…and no, we did not need your help."

She frowned at him. "Lewis, that doesn't answer my question."

"No. It doesn't." He kept his expression neutral as he undressed, waiting for her to respond to his unspoken challenge.

"Fine. Don't tell me." She turned over on her back and settled down on the pillows. "You were all probably playing poker or something and having a grand old time…leaving me bored…and lonely." Her eyes narrowed as he felt her trying to gauge his reaction. "And did I mention horny?" she added.

Lewis chuckled. "No, you did not, though I certainly felt that the moment I reached this floor. You really do need to keep that to yourself, my own."

She rolled her eyes. "I was directing it just at you. You don't think I'd broadcast _that _all over the place, do you?"

"No." He sat down on the edge of the bed and touched her cheek lightly. "I'll go shower and then I'll join you, hmm?" He moved to stand and then froze as her hand closed around his genitals. "No shower?"

"No. You'll only need another one anyway." He smiled as her slender hand moved on him, stroking firmly. "Besides, you want this first," she insisted.

She was right. He shuddered as his erection grew, and shifted on the bed to give her better access. Both of her hands encircled him now, and he watched in fascination as her tongue darted out to tease the tip of his hard staff. Her grip on him tightened each time he tried to move and take her…so he settled down to let her have her way with him…it was no ordeal to do so, after all. Keridwen's mouth closed over the head of his penis, and he moaned as she sucked softly on it. Her own moan was filled with frustration as she tried to force more of him past her lips and failed. He touched both sides of her jaw lightly, waiting until she acknowledged him and nodded before hitting the pressure points that would allow her to open her mouth wider.

He groaned as more of his erection slid into her hot wet mouth. Her teeth scraped along the sensitive surface and her tongue moved sluggishly, somewhat trapped as it was by the object that had invaded its home. She began to move up and down on his hard cock, sliding it in and out of her mouth…but never quite releasing it. Her hands grasped the base of it, and his testicles, fondling and squeezing. Just when he'd decided that she would not release him until he'd ejaculated, she pulled away, gasping. "Lewis…now…"

Laughing, he moved, turning her onto her knees and entering her hot center from behind. She whimpered and began to rock back against him frantically, keening as their orgasm enveloped them.

... ...

Keri snuggled into Lewis' chest, smiling as he smoothed back her hair. She trailed her fingers over his abdomen and chuckled as he captured them with his free hand. "You know," she said. "I'm still waiting for that answer."

He laughed and the movement dislodged her. He laughed harder when she sat up and glared at him. Her offended expression was evidently lost on him; his eyes were full of the humor he found in the situation. "My apologies, cherished," he finally managed. "Please, return to your favorite pillow, hmm?"

"I'll think about it," she sniffed and then stiffened as he laughed again. Keri watched him struggle to regain control for a moment then gave up on her posturing. Lewis was evidently in far too good a mood to take her pouting seriously. She opened her mouth for an appropriately scathing comment, and then closed it again abruptly. Something strange was happening.

"Are you going to lie back down, or not, my mate?" Lewis asked.

"Hush. I'm concentrating."

"On what?"

She rolled her eyes again. If you'll hush I'll be able to figure that out." He cooperatively lapsed into silence. Her eyes widened as she identified the source of the odd itch…then she began to chuckle. This would dampen his mood a bit.

"What is it?" he asked.

"So, how are you going to deal with it if Sloan and Tom manage a mating bond?" she teased.

"It won't happen."

"But if it does?"

He shrugged. "I'll manage. I don't understand Tom's fascination with her…she's attractive enough for a casual encounter, but I find her annoying, on the whole."

Keri chuckled. "But just think, Sloan as your cousin's bond mate!"

He shrugged again. "I'm not the one whose reaction you should be concerned with."

"What do you mean?"

"How do you think Anja would take such a thing?"

Her nose wrinkled as she tried to figure out what he meant. "What does Anja have to do with it?"

Lewis sat up, leaned back against the headboard, and held his arms open for her. She shifted and settled into his embrace, leaning against his chest as she waited for him to explain. "Well, Anja is your surrogate sibling…against my advice as you recall."

"Yeah, so?"

"Bonded couples are considered, for all intents and purposes, to be the same person under our law. Therefore, your sib is my sib."

"Hmm. Well, she'll love that idea."

"As well she should," he said with that arrogance she loved very much in evidence. "However, this also means that my cousin is your cousin, and therefore her cousin too."

"Okay. She admires Tom just fine…well, except for his taste in women, of course."

"Of course." He fell silent.

"And so?"

"Should Tom achieve a mating bond with Sloan, then Sloan will be your cousin as well." He waited, his eyes twinkling with suppressed mirth.

"And…oh my god. Anja is going to flip…the bimbo will be her cousin!"

"The what?" Lewis asked with a smirk.

"Huh? Oh god…did I say? Oh no. Anja's rubbing off on me! Poor Sloan, that's horrible, but when Anja says it, it's just so…well…Anja. You know?"

"Yes, my own, I understand."

"Hmm. Well, I think you should be the one to tell her."

"Tell her what?"

"That Sloan is her cousin now."

"Cherished, that would only be true if she and Tom were to achieve a mating bond. Tom claiming her as his life-mate without a bond does not confer a direct familial relationship with Sloan on any of us even though she'd be considered a part of Tom's family. She'd only be what you would call an in-law."

"Right. I understood that. You know, she'll take the news best from you, especially if you remind her that our bond means that you're her sib."

"Keridwen…"

She chuckled. "Don't forget to be nice to your new cousin in the morning," she told him and slid down to the pillow with a yawn.

"No…you can't possibly tell that they…ah shit." He dropped down onto the pillow beside her, wrapped his arms around her, and buried his face in her hair. His voice was muffled as he continued to mutter, "What in creation could that woman possibly be bringing to our gene pool that would allow a mating bond?"

**ELSEWHERE**

Anja waited impatiently. Once she was given the courier pouch that the field operatives wanted returned to the council she was out of there…and on her way home. Home, what a concept, she thought. She hadn't really had a home since her sibs were executed…but now…now Keri was home. And Mark, if he'd just acknowledge it. Of course, he may not want to acknowledge anything after she did what she had to do. Abortion was considered criminal among their people. Bah, he would understand or she would kick his ass. She was swiftly losing all patience with him. Anyway, she didn't need him. Lewis was going to teach her chameleon techniques so that she could be Keri's bodyguard. Between learning how to be an even more deadly fighter and being able to nest…and she could keep herself busy with the soldiers…some of them weren't bad at all, she didn't need Mark.

She dumped over the chair she was leaning on. Scheisse. She didn't need him, but damn did she want him. But first things first. The information packet would be passed on to someone in the garage to deliver to Mark…she didn't want his acute senses anywhere near her until she'd dealt with her problem. Next she would go find David. Once all was taken care of…_then_ she'd take care of Mark.

The field agents' first emerged from the back room and held out the leather pouch. She looked him over…again. He was kind of hot looking. The goatee and the hazel eyes set off his longish light brown hair. Ears were kinda big though…but the hair hid those for the most part. Very nice body…oh yes, _very_ nice. He smirked as she finally grabbed the pouch…and he didn't let go. "Like what you see?" he asked.

"Maybe. What's it to you?"

He shrugged. "You got a mate that will care what you do, or is that from a required pairing?" he asked, gesturing at her flat abdomen.

Oh scheisse, she thought. He was strongly gifted. _Damn_ strongly gifted. Ooookay. Only the truth would do here. "They're Damien's. What do you think?" she said.

"I think you shouldn't be looking other men over if you want to stay in one piece, cupcake. Don't want to piss the boss off, he might not think about the kiddies."

It was her turn to shrug. "He don't care if I look. Though he might remove what I'm looking _at_." She sniffed audibly and stalked out of the room. Let the damned chameleon think about that one. Humph.


	9. Chapter 9

An unfamiliar weight prevented him from turning over. Tom opened his eyes and blinked at the mass of wavy auburn curls that was all but in his face. "Sloan," he whispered. His mate, no…his bond mate. He ran his fingers through the tangled strands almost reverently.

She shifted and looked up at him. Her eyes widened and her full lips curved into a smile. "Hi."

"Hi."

"Um, we did it, huh?"

"Looks that way," he agreed, running his fingers down her cheek.

"So am I going to have you in my head all the time now?"

He smiled. "No. Only when we work at it."

"I'm not gifted enough," she said, biting her lip.

He shrugged. "Saves me a lot of trouble. I won't have to shield when I want to keep a secret."

"You aren't supposed to keep secrets from your bond mate! Are you?"

"No, not really." He tilted her chin up and brushed her lips with his. "You aregifted _enough_. We are bonded, that's all that matters."

"Well, it's not _all _that matters." His eyebrows rose. She shifted, then straddled him and kissed him thoroughly. "We love each other; that matters."

He groaned as she rubbed sensuously against him. "Yes, Sloan, that matters very much."

... ...

Keri looked up from her book and frowned. It was almost time to go down for breakfast and Lewis was _still_ working on his computer. He'd left the panel to the small study open so that she could feel that she was spending time with him, but it was not conducive to holding a conversation. And they really needed to talk. Well, she needed to talk, and she needed him to listen. He leaned back in his chair and glanced out at her. Evidently he had picked up on her impatience. "What is it, cherished?"

Rolling over and off of the bed she crossed the suite and draped her arms around his shoulders from behind. She had to smile as she breathed in his warm clean scent. "You have time to talk?"

"I have time to listen."

"Okay, that'll do." She rested her chin on his left shoulder as he resumed typing. He kept all of his notes in German for some reason, and he used a tiny font suited for his much sharper vision. She couldn't read a thing. "You know that empty building on the south corner?"

"It's not empty."

She sighed. That was technically true; it held a variety of roofing and other construction supplies. "Well, unoccupied, then."

"Mmm. Yes, what of it?"

"Can I have it?"

He stopped typing and turned to look at her. "Keridwen, all that I have is yours."

"Yeah, right…but can I use it for something?"

"What?"

"We need to move the lab from over the garage and I thought that would be a good spot."

"What's wrong with the current location? That area was intended for quarters, the building was renovated so that there wouldn't be a problem with fumes."

"It's on the second floor…and it's actually a third floor if you count it by flights of stairs."

He frowned at her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. "And this is a problem because…?"

"I'm pregnant." He didn't respond. "Eventually I'll be _very_ pregnant and I don't want to be climbing up and down two flights of stairs to get ultrasounds and such. I'm clumsy, you know that."

Lewis shrugged. "I'll carry you if it comes to that."

"I hate feeling helpless."

"Cherished, that is months in the future, what is the real reason?"

She sighed. He wasn't buying excuses. "Well, they've ordered some better scanning equipment, and there isn't room for it over the garage. So I thought that since we'd have to put it somewhere else anyway, maybe we could just build a more permanent lab and medical center kind of thing over in that other building. It would free up the medical area in the other house for quarters, and the mechanics and drivers could move back into their regular rooms freeing up even more quarters." His eyebrows rose as she sat on his lap and nuzzled his ear. "Don't you think that would be a good idea? We're going to need the space eventually."

"_They_ will need the space, not I. I do not intend to allow the coexistence faction to remain here indefinitely. Once our chosen path is announced they will be on their own."

"But what if coexistence _is_ your chosen path?"

"Keridwen, we've discussed this…"

"And I still don't understand. Why not coexistence? You can't judge everyone by idiots like my grandfather. People in general just want to get along. Most sapiens will think that your people are cool."

"And the rest? The rest will feel threatened, and feeling threatened they will try to destroy us."

Keri restrained herself from grinding her teeth. "You just need the right kind of PR. Get the ACLU involved, civil rights leaders…"

"We tried that, remember?"

"No. You tried politicians and military leaders. Some of them would disown their children if they thought it would give them more clout. I'm talking about the church leaders, the ethnic group leaders. That's a whole different ball game, one you haven't played."

"Sapiens killed my family, ruined my life. How can I trust any of them?"

"You trust me."

"You aren't sapiens."

"I'm not dominant, either. And besides, you trusted me before you knew I wasn't sapiens…enough to bond with me. Lewis, please. Would you just stop insisting it's not possible and really give it some serious thought? You have a brilliant mind, I'm sure you can figure out _some _way to make it work."

He sighed heavily. "I will think about it. For your sake."

... ...

Sloan laughed as she felt Tom harden beneath her. Then she felt her cheeks heat in a furious blush. She'd never felt quite so…so free, so alive, so wanton, so…so horny. It was wonderful. Tom nodded as she looked into his blue gray eyes. Reaching down, she guided him to the entrance of her canal, and gasped as he pulled her tight against him.

He groaned as she raised herself up and then slowly pushed back down. "Slo-an." His hands slid behind her and he shifted, twisting her sideways and down to the bed. "Mine," he growled as he turned her on her back and lifted and spread her thighs.

"Oh God, Tom…" she moaned as he began to thrust hard inside her.

... ...

"Thank you. So, can I have that building?"

Lewis shook his head. His mate was tenacious. Ah well, it was a small thing and if it made her happy... "Yes, you may use the building as you see fit. Just make sure you find a place indoors to store the construction materials, or they'll be ruined once winter sets in."

His breath caught as she smiled happily and threw her arms around his neck for a hug and soft kiss. "Thank you. I love you!"

He chuckled. "I see. It takes a gift of real estate to win your love?"

"Lewis!" His eyebrows rose as she swatted him gently on the shoulder. "That's beside the point, and you know it."

"Indeed, I do my own." He nuzzled her cheek. "I do, however, owe you a gift."

She looked up at him, her expression puzzled as he lifted her left hand to kiss it. "Engaged women should be wearing engagement rings, should they not?"

"Hmm, yes, come to think of it."

"I've spoken to a local jeweler. We'll visit them late this afternoon, and then we'll have dinner out to celebrate. Would you like that?" He fought a grin as he asked the question. Her eyes were sparkling and he could feel the flush of pleasure at the idea rush through her.

"Humph. You know I would." She gave him one of her playful pouts, but couldn't hold it. Her lips quivered, then relaxed into a pleased smile. "You knew I was itching to get out of here for a bit, didn't you?"

"Of course."

"Can we go to a Chinese restaurant?"

"If you wish." He struggled to hide his amusement. Keridwen was a mature and intelligent woman, but her excitement at the idea of actually going out in public after the weeks of hiding and being on the run was almost child-like in its intensity.

"Are we going alone? No?" she said as he shook his head. "Oh, I mean besides guards, I know we aren't going anywhere without guards for me…you're still uptight about me being safe."

"Keridwen, I cannot lose you…"

"I know, love." He blinked as she copied one of his gestures and laid her fingers across his mouth. "I'm willing to be careful, and I wasn't complaining." The fingers slid away to be replaced, however briefly, by her lips. "I meant, other than guards, are we going alone?"

Lewis frowned. "What would you prefer? This _is_ a celebration, would you rather have others celebrate with us?"

"Umm, yes. Let's invite Tom, Jeff, Ed, Sloan, Caryn, and Alexa."

He felt his eyebrows rising again. "Are you matchmaking, cherished? Somehow I cannot see Dr. Tate and Alexa as a couple."

"Why not?" She frowned at him and then a sly grin emerged. "You haven't seen them together."

Tate and Alexa? His mate must be teasing him. He looked at her intently, concentrating. Hmm, she was teasing, but not about the pairing. Somewhere, somehow, something had gone very wrong with his chameleon training program. At first he'd thought it was Tom's paternal lineage that was responsible for the failing that had brought him and Dr. Parker together, and had allowed Tom's cousin Jeffrey to find Dr. Townsend attractive. But Alexa and Jeffrey were not at all related, at least not in the past four or more generations. _He_, at least, had chosen one of the partially adapted as his mate. Yes, it must be something in the training.

"Lewis?" Keridwen said, breaking him out of his reverie.

"Yes, my own?"

"It's inevitable."

"What is?"

She sighed. "Coexistence. As your people allow themselves to get to know sapiens personally, more and more of them will become friends or lovers. It's about people, not DNA differentials."

"You do not…"

"Yes, I _do_ understand," she interrupted. "Probably better than anyone. Your own prophets predicted it." She sighed theatrically at his frown. "Both will choose the flame?" He frowned again, then pulled back sharply as she gathered a length of her burgundy hair in one hand and slapped him in the face with it. "Honestly, Lewis. I love you, but sometimes you can be so thick-headed." She slid off his lap and stalked out of the small room with an exasperated snort.

The flame referred to by the prophecy was hair color? Impossible. He pushed his chair back and watched as Keridwen flounced around the room getting clothing out of the built in wardrobe and the hand carved teak dresser. Her hair sparkled like fire as it caught the sunlight whenever she passed in front of the windows…which was often, no doubt by design. No, that was ridiculous. It had to have a greater meaning than the shade of their mates' hair.

... ...

Ed grinned as he cooled down after his morning run. Alexa had joined him again, and this time she hadn't gone out of her way to outlast him. Sure, she'd been the pacesetter, but he wasn't about to complain. Watching her run just ahead and to the side had been great. She had such incredible legs and…well, other things. He felt heat rising in his cheeks as she gave him a sardonic look. Damn, he kept forgetting that she picked up things like that. "Uh, sorry," he offered.

She shook her head. "It's all right. I suppose it's flattering, in a way."

"Yes, it's meant to be, but I guess it's kind of rude, too. So, I'm sorry."

"Well, perhaps if I don't want to know, I should be shielding. You owe me no apologies. As the one with the ability it's my duty to control it."

It was his turn to shake his head. "Well, let's just call it even then." He stretched then looked at his watch. "Damn, I promised Caryn I'd go over those test results with her at eight. I'd better go shower and get up to the lab. See you later?"

"Inevitably. It's not that large a facility."

"Look, Alexa…"

"I'm teasing you, Dr. Tate," she informed him.

"Oh." He grinned. "Uh, everyone else seems to be going off property in the past few days. Do you think maybe I could take you to dinner or something?"

His gut clenched as she frowned. "I'm not certain that would be safe. I'll check the status; see if there are still any warrants or other official searches on for you."

"There was a warrant out on me? Like our, uh, my government was trying to arrest me?"

"Yes. Didn't you know?"

"_Hell_ no. Jesus, my folks must be having a fit. I've been trying to keep them out of this, you know. Haven't wanted to bring any attention to them. But if the police were looking for me…"

"They were no doubt contacted by the authorities, yes."

"Damn. I've got to call them, let them know I'm okay."

"_After_ I check the status. I'll stop by the lab later, and let you know if it's safe."

"Hey, thanks. I'd really appreciate that."

"No problem."

He held back a sigh as she turned and loped off. She moved so…fluidly. It was beautiful to watch. Ah, hell. Mom was going to have his head on a silver platter. A warrant, for God's sake. He'd better tell Sloan. Her sister was probably sick with worry.

... ...

Anja sat quietly in a corner of the empty lab. David hadn't been in his quarters and the house steward hadn't known where he was. He was an early riser; hopefully he'd be the first person here. She frowned as footsteps sounded on the stairs. Her eyes drifted closed as she concentrated. The energies washed over her but didn't coalesce until the man reached the top of the stairs. Scheisse, it was Tate.

The door opened and the tall doctor strode into the room. "Caryn?" he said. There was no answer. "Hmm, hope she's late too. I'll never hear the end of it if she's been here and left," he muttered half under his breath.

"She hasn't been here," Anja told him, grinning as he jumped.

"Oh. Uh, thanks. Didn't see you over there."

She shrugged and stood. "I didn't intend you to."

"Right. Um, is there something I can do for you?"

"I'm looking for David."

"Oh. Well, David's in LA with Ray and Walter."

"What? Why?"

"His escort back from the NSA had to go provide security while they wait for your council to contact them and Mark didn't have enough people right now to send someone else to pick David up."

"Damn it. I suppose _you'll_ have to do."

"Gee, thanks."

"Look, I got problem."

"Yeah, I gathered that. What do you need?"

"I need abortion."

"Whoa. Uh, look. I really don't agree with abortions, you know? My attitude is that if you don't want a pregnancy you use birth control or you don't have sex. Once…"

"Shut up."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't need your moralizing. My people do not use birth control; they want us to be baby factories. I cannot have this."

"Then maybe you should have kept your legs crossed…uff!"

Anja snarled as he doubled over and gasped for breath. She hadn't hit him that hard. Well, maybe she had. "Look, I was doing my duty. Sleeping with head of council is how I found out they had Peterson's family. You rather not know his wife and son okay?"

"You were assigned…? Oh man. I just…hell." He ran his fingers through his longish hair. After staring at the floor for several minutes he finally looked up at her. "I'm sorry, I had no idea. That really sucks."

"Yes, it does."

"Still, we're talking about a baby here, an innocent life."

"We're talking about four babies, and we're talking about _my_ life."

"What do you mean? Couldn't you just have them and give them up for, ah, whatever form of adoption your people use?"

"It's the having them that is problem. Last time I nearly died. Horrible pain. Felt like something was ripping apart inside me, and I bled for hours. Almost bled out. Then they said I was excused from any more required pairings."

"Oh. _Oh_, you have a medical problem with pregnancy. Why didn't they just do a tubal ligation so you couldn't get pregnant again?"

She shook her head in disgust. "I told you. They want us to be baby factories; they just don't want to be responsible if something goes wrong."

"Damn. Okay, well, maybe it was something that they felt would correct itself…hold on!" he continued hastily as she took a menacing step towards him. "Look, we'll do a thorough examination, and make sure there _is_ a problem…and no, I'm not disbelieving you, it's just for my peace of mind, okay?"

"Okay," she managed grudgingly. She supposed he was entitled to his beliefs, but she hated it when males presumed to have an opinion about what should or shouldn't be allowed for a woman when it had to do with her own body. _They_ weren't the ones who had to suffer through pregnancy. It wasn't like she had been careless. She had not been able to tell Damien 'no' or he would have been suspicious of her. When she'd had sex with Erik, she'd been certain she was not in a fertile stage or the encounter wouldn't have happened.

"Okay. Let's start with an ultrasound. I need you to drink a lot of water."

... ...

Keri grinned as she watched Caryn wander into the dining room. The other woman's expression was distracted, to say the least, and she held several dark red roses to her nose. "Have a good night?" she asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yes."

"You waited up for Jeff, I take it."

"Well, no."

Keri frowned. Okay, she was confused. "Then…?"

Caryn shrugged and grinned. "I decided to wait in his room and fell asleep there."

"Ooohh. Aren't you the sly one? So, where did the roses come from, they look fresh."

"They are. When I woke up this morning, there were roses on the bed, on the floor, leading into the bathroom."

"Uh huh. Go on…I'm all ears," Keri smiled and leaned forward on the table.

"He'd drawn a bath and scented it with rosewater, and there were red and white rose petals floating in it. It was heavenly."

"Wow. That's so romantic."

Caryn sighed. "Romantic or calculated. I don't know. What do you think? He's done the seducing thing for I don't know how long, as a job, no less. How do I know this is any different?"

"Hmm. Good question." She frowned. Jeff had been attentive when he'd been pursuing her, but this…no, this was way beyond his modus operandi, at least so far as she was aware. "I don't know. He went to a lot of trouble, and you're not like an assigned target or anything. It's almost two miles to the nearest florist, and he did this while you were still asleep. Probably had to run there and back to make sure you didn't wake up before he was ready. And he went to all the trouble of finding out how much you like roses. Sounds like romance to me."

"Maybe. I suppose. I guess I'll keep an open mind."

"Oh, like letting him seduce you is _such_ a hardship."

Laughing, Caryn said, "Well you thought so."

"I wasn't falling in love with him."

"You think I am?"

"Ha. You melt every time he comes into the room."

"Hmm, maybe I do, maybe I don't."

"You're almost as bad as me with Lewis."

Caryn stared at her, making an odd face. "Okay, I gotta ask. Why Lewis and not Jeff?"

"Lewis loves me."

"Oh come on. He didn't love you when you fell in love with him. Did he?"

Keri sighed. "I don't know. Besides, why not Lewis? He's gorgeous."

"Honey, he scares the shit out of me. And Jeff is much more handsome."

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Humph."

"Would you two listen to yourselves?" Keri's head snapped around as Ed strode into the dining room. "You sound like a couple of high school freshmen."

"Well, I nev…"

"Caryn, I need your help with something in the lab," he continued, not letting Keri finish her sentence.

"Okay, I'll be there after breakfast. The test results…"

"Uh, can you have breakfast sent up? I really need you there now."

"Oh, well, okay."

"Have you guys seen Sloan? I could use her help too."

"Um, you won't be seeing Sloan for a couple of days or so."

"Why not? What's wrong?"

Keri grinned. "Nothing. New bond mates just stay in seclusion for the first few days after bonding."

"Holy shit, her and Tom, they've…"

"Uh huh. Lewis is annoyed. Though he didn't have a total cow, I was surprised."

"Damn. Well, that's great, I guess. Huh."

"But Sloan's Homo sapiens-sapiens," Caryn said. "I thought that wasn't possible."

"She's got some PSI type gifts. Looks like that's all that's needed. Guess this will be another one for Carla's record books."

... ...

"Anja dropped these off for you," the house steward said as he placed the courier's laptop and CD case on the desk.

"Has she no report to give?" Mark asked.

"I don't know, sir. She mentioned an errand."

"Fine. You may go." Mark frowned, set up the laptop and looked through the CD's. Anja likely wanted as little to do with him as possible since she had found a fertile male to warm her bed. He started as a CD case, fortunately an empty one, snapped in his hand. He had to concentrate…there was work to be done.

The first CD booted up and data began to speed across the screen. "What in hell?" The DNA re-sequencing serum was being legitimately field-tested? That meant that they'd had successes in controlled experiments. This was unsettling news to say the least. They would have to find a way to intervene before the council found an easy way to identify the partially adapted. Coexistence needed the partially adapted's DNA differential left as is in order to prove the close relationship between sapiens and dominant. Lewis would not be pleased at this news. The council would likely target his mate as well once they discovered she had an adaptation. What next?


	10. Chapter 10

"I just don't understand what I'm looking at, Ed," Caryn said as she looked at the stills from the ultrasounds they had run.

"Look here. This is Anja's. This is the control we did on Alexa and this is the control we did on you."

"I don't know why you did one on me, how does that help?"

"It gives me a basis for comparison. I don't understand the dominant reproductive system, but I do know my way around the sapiens version. I figured that if I compare the two, maybe I could figure out the differences."

"Got it. I'm not thinking." Ed coughed and turned away with a grin. "Well, okay, I'm not thinking about this."

"That's all right. You're entitled."

"Humph." She frowned and stared at the scans. "What's this?" she asked pointing at a protrusion between the uteri and the birth canal on Alexa's scan.

"That's the million dollar question. I guess we're going to have to wait until Alexa gets back."

"Or figure it out for ourselves," Caryn muttered. "Hmm. Look at the opacity. Doesn't that argue this wider area being more an organ than a part of the canal?"

"Huh. Could be. Definitely looks more expandable. Hey, and look at the way the uteri feed into it at different levels. Oh, wow. That's it! It's like a…a staging area. I was wondering how they managed not to have all the fetuses trying to get through the birthing canal at the same time. This is it. They feed into this…whatever they call it at different levels and are birthed in order of what uterus they were gestated in."

"I think you're right. Look, Anja doesn't have that. Her uteri feed directly into what looks like a standard birth canal…about the same size and length as mine…well, maybe just a little bit longer. Dayum, is that scar tissue?"

"Yeah. She said it felt like she was being ripped apart when she was in labor, she probably was, literally, when several babies tried to fit into the canal all at once. No wonder she's so terrified of being pregnant."

"You've got to give her an abortion. She's not going to survive another delivery."

"Well, she could have a c-section."

"Edward Tate, what are you talkin' about? Look at how the uteri are nestled in around the abdomen. You'd have to open her up in four different places to deliver the babies by c-section. And that doesn't even take into account having to disturb the other organs on the way in."

Ed had the grace to look embarrassed. "Sorry. I…I just have this thing about abortions. I mean, I'm not avidly anti-abortion, you know, to each their own conscience…but _my_ conscience would bother me if I performed an abortion that wasn't to save the mother's life. I guess that doesn't apply here."

"No, it most decidedly does not."

"Got another problem, though."

Caryn sighed and gathered her patience. "What?"

"How do you go about doing an abortion with four different uteri?"

"Aw, hell."

Alexa carefully lowered herself in a squat, keeping her back straight and her arms even. A shift in position while working with weights this heavy could put undue strain on the very muscle groups she was working to improve. She couldn't afford an injury. An approaching presence registered on her consciousness and she braced herself internally to deal with the interruption. Being startled into an unplanned movement would not be helpful at this point either.

The door opened and she felt Lewis enter. He stopped and waited quietly while she stood and placed the barbell on its rack. "My apologies," he said.

"Not needed. I felt your approach."

"Good." He crossed the room and watched as she slid under the weights to do her bench press reps. "You should have a spotter for that weight."

She shrugged and placed her hands on the bar. "You're here now."

"So I am." He frowned and then leaned closer to examine the barbell…no, he was examining her hands, or more specifically her fingers. She felt herself squirm internally. "Interesting," he said, one eyebrow lifting.

"It was pointed out to me that an otherwise well dressed and attractive woman would look out of place in this area if she did not have a manicure. I've corrected the oversight."

"Of course."

She frowned and began the set. He was obviously attempting to rattle her, to make her feel defensive. That was not acceptable. It would be best to ignore his efforts…any reaction would lend credence to his unspoken criticism. Her arms began to burn as she pressed the weights repeatedly, bringing them down to her chest and then pushing them up to the full extension.

"I suppose a manicure is appropriate under the circumstances. A pedicure, however, would be simple self-indulgence."

Alexa gasped as the 400 pounds of weights and bar slipped to the side. _Damn him_, she fumed silently, watching him grab the bar and replace it on the support. He'd evidently spoken to Keri and had been baiting her intentionally.

"Perhaps you're attempting to please some male you have your eye on?" he suggested as she slipped off the bench and headed for the door.

She forced herself to continue without hesitation. It would be a cold day in hell before she discussed her odd attraction to Dr. Tate with Lewis.

... ...

Ed looked up as Alexa slammed into the room. He wasn't sure whom she was pissed at, but he pitied the fool.

"What do you need now?" she asked, her voice clipped.

"Oh, for you to relax would be a good start." She leveled a blue glare at him that could have turned a wall of titanium into a pile of ash. Ouch.

"I don't have time for games, doctor. What is the problem?"

He sighed. Whatever he'd done, she was going to have to get over it on her own. Human women were impossible to understand most of the time; no doubt he'd only manage to make things worse if he tried to placate a female dominant. "We think we've figured out what's wrong." He pointed to the extra organ on the ultrasound that Caryn had dubbed the 'mystery organ'.

"The pre-birth canal? Why is that a problem?" Alexa asked.

"Well, obviously it's _not_ a problem for you, but Anja doesn't have one."

"But…hmm. That must have been missed during her adolescent exam."

"Oh, so they wouldn't have allowed her to have kids if they'd known?"

Alexa shook her head. "No. They wouldn't have allowed her to live. Congenital defects are not permitted to remain in the gene pool."

"What?" He looked around worriedly. Good, Caryn was still down in the garage with Anja, keeping the other dominants out of range while the girl took care of her bike. "Damn it Alexa, that's barbaric! If all they were worried about was the gene pool, why didn't they just sterilize her? Jeez, what am I saying?" he asked throwing his hands up in frustration. "Even _that's_ barbaric. Damn."

"Are you quite through?" He looked up as Alexa crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, I guess."

"I did not say I agreed with the practice, I simply informed you that it exists."

"Sorry, didn't mean to kill the messenger."

She sighed. "No, of course you didn't." She frowned, considering. "Apparently whoever attended her during childbirth didn't agree with the practice either. Otherwise she would have been terminated then. Not that they did her any great favor, it was only a matter of time before she ran into a male strong enough to overcome her objections to pairing during her fertile period."

"Well, she's with the coexistence faction now. That means we'll fix this…right?

"Fix it how, Ed?" Alexa paced the small open area between the equipment.

He looked up. At least she was back to calling him by his first name again. "Well, after we abort the pregnancy I'll give her a tubal ligation so she can't get pregnant again."

"No."

He blinked. "Why not?"

"Because every dominant that catches her scent will know that she's no longer fertile. She will be treated as a pariah, shunned, pitied."

"Not among the faction, surely? Oh, I get it; you won't be able to order her to seduce information out of your council any more. Tough."

"What? She was ordered to…did she _say_ that?"

"Uh, she said it was part of her job."

"I was _not_ aware of this."

"Oh. So what's the problem then…"

"Even within the faction, Ed." She shifted uncomfortably. "I know it wouldn't be right, but you have to understand how we're raised. It's an ingrained reaction. The people here would try to overcome it, but they'd fail far too often for Anja's mental well being."

"Okay, let's not worry about the long term solution right now. How do I go about doing an abortion when four uteri are involved?"

"I have no idea. I've never even heard of any of our people ever having one."

"Great. We need to get in touch with Carla. Anja doesn't want Mark to know about any of this. Can Lewis help?"

"Probably."

"Will you ask him?"

"No." Her tone was almost viciously resolute.

"Ooookay. I guess it's up to me, then."

... ...

_My mate might be right_, Lewis mused. From her reaction to his probing Alexa was interested in some male and if she was allowing herself to take pains with her appearance it was likely a sapiens. _Speaking of the_…he bit back the derogatory thought as Tate walked into the library.

"Lewis, I've been looking for you."

"You've found me," he couldn't resist responding.

"Yeah." The lanky sapiens paced nervously. "Uh, I need to reach Carla, I need her help with something."

"Mark can contact her."

"Yes, but I've been asked not to involve him."

Interesting. Plots among the sapiens? But why would they come to him as opposed to Mark? "If you wish my help, you'll need to be a bit more forthcoming."

Tate sighed. "One of the faction's operatives needs surgery, and I'm not familiar enough with your physiology to do it on my own."

"And why can't Mark be informed of this?"

"Um, the operative doesn't want Mark to think they're disabled in any way?"

"Try again." The doctor was looking extremely uncomfortable. Lewis leaned back in the padded armchair. This was actually quite entertaining.

Tate stared at the floor for a few minutes, a muscle in his cheek his only movement. Finally he looked up. "It's Anja," he muttered.

"I see. Has she not recovered from her hip injury?"

"Her hip's fine…well, as fine as it's going to get. The scar tissue will always impede her movement a bit." He laughed briefly. "Not to any degree that _I'd _notice, but I'm told it makes a significant difference to her." Lewis frowned. Why couldn't the man get to the point? "It's…well. She's pregnant." His eyebrows shot up. That was certainly inconvenient, but… "She needs an abortion."

"Dr. Tate, an abortion is out of the question."

"Normally I'd agree, but it's not her fault. She was trying to get information out of the council and…"

"The sire is on the council?"

"Uh, yeah. I think his name is Daniel…uh, no, that's not right."

"Damien?"

"Yes, that's it."

Lewis stood and stalked to the bay window. Damien. He stared out at the relentless sunshine for several long minutes, fighting his automatic reaction at the thought of his…rival. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself back into balance. "An abortion is out of the question," he repeated.

"You don't understand," Tate said insistently.

"No, Dr. Tate, you don't understand. The offspring you so casually wish to terminate are of my blood."

Oh shit, Ed thought. This Damien dude was related to Lewis. Huh. Guess Anja didn't have too much trouble accepting the order to sleep with the guy. "Uh, look, I'm sorry, but…"

"Damien is my half-brother. One of the few left of my line and generation. His offspring cannot be simply cast away because they are an inconvenience."

The dominant's tone was even, but the intensity was almost overwhelming. This was not good. "Lewis, it's not like that. I wouldn't…"

"Then what is it like, doctor?"

"It could kill her."

Lewis looked up sharply. "How?"

Ed thought furiously. If he told Lewis that Anja had a congenital defect he'd…no, can't do that. "Uh, well, when she injured her hip she suffered some internal damage a…ulp!" He struggled for breath as Lewis' hand around his throat forced him to his knees.

"Lewis! Let him go!"

Thank God, it was Keri, she'd save him.

"I will let him go if he ceases to lie to me."

"Ed, don't lie to Lewis," Keri scolded sternly.

He nodded his head as best he could and struggled to voice an agreement.

"There, you see? He won't lie to you anymore, now please let him go."

Ed gasped as he landed on his butt on the plush carpet.

"Thank you. Now, somebody needs to tell me what's going on," she demanded imperiously.

... ...

"Your surrogate sibling was careless with her assignations, became pregnant with my brother's offspring and now wants an abortion," Lewis informed her tersely.

Oops. Well, that explained why Lewis was so pissed. Wait…a brother? He'd never mentioned a…ah hell. That would have to wait. Keri looked at Ed as he scrambled to his feet. "Well?" she asked him.

"Anja was ordered to seduce information out of this Damien dude, couldn't tell him no while she was fertile or she'd have blown her cover, and she _has_ to have an abortion."

"I'll ask you one more time, _doctor_. Why?" Lewis' voice was strained.

"Love, easy," Keri murmured, wrapping her arm around his waist and pressing up against him. She stiffened as Lewis' annoyance with her interference spiked through the bond.

Ed sighed. "Because she doesn't have a pre-birth canal, and the delivery would kill her."

"Doesn't have…?"

"Look, that doesn't mean she's defective. There's no reason to…"

"Is that why you made that pathetic attempt to lie to me? Did you think I'd order her termination?"

"Her what?!" Keri croaked.

"Yeah, it crossed my mind."

"Lewis!"

"She's my mate's surrogate sibling. No one will harm her."

"Fine, what about the others? I hear they'll think she's worthless if they find out."

... ...

Tate had a point, Lewis thought. "Your lie will suffice. Her injuries were more extensive than we thought at first. It is a great tragedy. She will be honored for her sacrifice."

His mate rested her chin on his collarbone and frowned up at him. "I don't understand," she complained.

"Later, cherished. I need to get to the bottom of this. That child did not have the training to warrant such an assignment and someone will answer for it." He firmly pushed Keridwen away, ignoring her anxious look. "Tate, I'll see that Carla is brought out here immediately."

"Great. Uh, I'll let Anja know. She's kind of hanging out at the lab; she thinks it would be better if no one knows about her condition."

"Quite so." He looked down at Keridwen who had thrown herself petulantly into the chair he'd vacated and was now glaring at the rather inoffensive footstool. "My own, I know you are upset, but I need to handle this for your sib, hmm?"

She sighed heavily. "I just want to understand what's going on."

"Go with Tate, he can explain it to you."

"Ah, no. Bad idea. Anja didn't want Keri involved either," Ed muttered as he stopped in the doorway.

"What? Why not? I'm her sib!"

Ed shrugged. "I think she's embarrassed."

"Oh for…"

Lewis called her back as she began to follow Tate out the door. "Keridwen, you will honor her wishes in this."

"But…"

"Enough. Come upstairs. I have a call to make, and then I need to deal with Mark before we head out to see the jeweler.

... ...

"I don't want to go out," Keri mumbled as she followed Lewis into their suite. "I sure as hell don't feel like celebrating."

"We'll postpone the celebration until another time; however we do need to keep our appointment with the jeweler."

"Can't we just change it?"

"Keridwen, when a business makes special arrangements for a wealthy client, it lets its rivals know of said arrangements so as to enhance its reputation. It does not, however, identify the client to avoid having said rivals woo that client away from them. If the client does not keep the appointment, their anonymity is forfeit. The business makes sure everyone knows just who proved to be so unreliable. We do not need that sort of attention."

"Oh."

"Besides," he said, taking her left hand in his and rubbing the bare fingers. "If you are going to be wandering around town, I want everyone to know that you are not available."

She chuckled, as he'd no doubt intended, then her jaw dropped when he slipped into his office and firmly shut the door in her face. Sighing, she poked through the limited offerings in her closet for something suitable to wear. There wasn't much, especially if they were supposed to be 'wealthy clients'.

A few minutes later Lewis emerged and headed for the door. He stopped short and turned to stare at her. "What's wrong now?" he asked.

"Well, I don't have anything to wear," she said, wincing at the petulance in her voice. She winced again as she felt his patience shift to irritation.

"Keridwen, what is happening with you? Where is the competent, take-charge woman who stole me out from under the nose of one of the most notorious covert operations in this country? What happened to the woman who protected me while I was incapacitated, and who saved me from the depths of my own mind?"

"She's lost, Lewis," she sighed. "I don't know who I am anymore. My life hasn't just been turned upside down; it's been turned inside out. My family is gone, I don't have any work anymore…I don't know what to do with myself."

"You have a new family. You have your mate, your sib and new cousins. You have work in the lab."

"I'm useless in the lab. I can't do any of the research I'm qualified for; the subjects are never here. Walter's got a gift, a trained and active one if pretty rudimentary, but he's in LA. I'd love to do some testing with Ray, from what I hear he's got great gut instincts, which means he's probably got some kind of latent gift at least, but he's in LA too. And David has nothing, absolutely _nothing_, which is pretty amazing for a doctor. He might be a true null…do you have any idea how rare that is? And where is he? In LA. Sloan's incommunicado for god knows how long…do you know?"

Lewis shrugged. "Until she's either pregnant or leaves the fertile part of her cycle."

"Right. However long _that's _going to take. And your people…well, Mark's people," she corrected herself as his eyebrow rose. "You know what I mean, the other homo sapiens-dominants. They don't have time to cooperate. Mark has them busy on all sorts of projects to support coexistence..."

"Keridwen…"

"…and he won't let me help with anything on that because of you. And now, Anja's in trouble and _she_ doesn't even want my help. My own sib!"

Lewis sighed and pulled her into his arms.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm whining…but you don't even involve me in _your _business. Why? Is it something you think I'd disapprove of? Is it something to undermine coexistence?"

"No. My business is simply routine business. You know my holdings are extensive. They require management and for several months they did not have my attention. I'm playing catch up on all of the paperwork."

"Can't I help? I _do_ know how to manage businesses and estates."

"Cherished, by the time I showed you everything that needed to be done, I could finish it myself."

She pressed her face tight against his neck and sighed. "So again, I'm useless."

... ...

Lewis groaned. There was little or nothing he was going to be able to do to convince his mate of her worth without seriously considering the matter and finding her something to do. And right now, he hadn't the time. There was Mark to be dealt with and then the jeweler…

He stroked Keridwen's hair and nuzzled her cheek soothingly. "Lewis," she murmured, looking up at him with sad eyes.

"We'll talk about it tonight, my own. I promise." She nodded and held him tightly. "For now, let me deal with your sib's problem, hmm?"

"I really don't understand why she doesn't want me involved."

"She's quite proud, our Anja. I'm sure she'd prefer always being the stronger of the two of you. So far things are equal between you. You cared for her after her injury, and she cared for you while you mourned your grandfather. This would unbalance the scales again, and not in her favor."

"Well…damn it, that's not supposed to matter."

He chuckled. He knew very well how Anja was feeling about it. His debt to his mate was far greater than he was comfortable with. "Ah, cherished. It's a cultural difference. It matters very much to us, to those of us of a more alpha nature. But you know this, hmm?"

"I suppose," she groused.

"Besides, she is my bond mate's sib and therefore my own. Being the head of that family makes it my responsibility to deal with the problem…and I will do so."

"But…"

"It is a matter of honor, Keridwen. Leave it be."

She sighed. "Okay."

He kissed her briefly and gave her a little push in the direction of the closet.

"Lewis, I still don't have anything to wear if I'm supposed to look like a wealthy client."

His eyebrow rose automatically. "_I _am the wealthy client, my own. You are my fiancée."

"Oh, great. So now that I'm no longer a brown mousie…I'm a poor church mouse, huh?"

He laughed at her annoyed expression. "Just so."

... ...

Mark frowned as he felt Lewis' controlled anger a few seconds before the door to the study was slammed open. "There's a problem?" he asked.

"Yet again you have endangered that which is mine by not thinking. You had no business ordering Anja into a sexual liaison with Damien. She has neither the training nor the sheer power required to handle such an assignment with the likes of him as the target. _I _would hesitate to take on someone with his strength in a one on one attempt to obtain information."

The man was seething, but Mark had no idea what the former chameleon master was talking about. "Anja's mission was to copy the data she was transporting then either hand it off for delivery to me or store it in a safe place and then deliver it here herself after her assignments for the council were complete. Nothing more and nothing less."

"Then explain why Anja thought it was her duty to sleep with Damien Ryan to obtain information that would not appear in official correspondence."

"I…I can't. She…I…" He paused to take a deep breath. The agitation was destroying his control. He was trained to handle situations with hostiles…he reached out with waves of calm, blanching as Lewis casually brushed the attempt away. "Lewis, I…"

"Do you now understand what you asked her to deal with? You, a trained arbiter, can't handle my strength. How could you expect a courier to handle Damien?"

"I didn't. I told you, I did not give her any such orders. I _would_ not. You know that I…I have feelings for her."

"Yes, and I also know you feel that your sterility puts you beneath her. Perhaps you felt that Damien was more worthy?"

"I would not endanger her so!" Mark snapped out. "**_You will not continue to accuse me of it_**!"he continued in command tone.

Lewis folded his arms across his chest and stared back at him with a sardonic expression. He was evidently neither impressed nor affected by the command voice. "Then why did she take it upon herself to do this?" he asked.

Mark dropped back down into his chair and rested his head on his hands. "I have no idea," he muttered, rubbing his temples. Trying to command Lewis had given him a throbbing headache. He frowned and looked up. "Why is this a, issue? Now that it's been brought to my attention, I'll order her to desist. If it's gone too far for her to simply break it off, we'll have to do without the data she was collecting, but I won't send her back into danger."

"It's an issue because she's carrying Damien's offspring."

"Oh." Blinking slowly, he tried to adjust to the shock of the statement. His Anja was pregnant. He knew that she would have more offspring some day and that they'd never be his…but this? He sighed, trying to suppress his regret for the relationship that would never be. "Well, has she said what she wishes to do? If she would like Damien to parent them she can return to the council and sever her ties with the faction until it's safe for her to leave the infants in his care. If she wishes them raised within the faction we have a safe house she can go to when she's closer to term. They have a top rated midwife, and Carla is on call. She can stay there to raise them herself, or they can be turned over to a foster mother."

Lewis was glowering impatiently. "She will not be continuing the pregnancy."

"What?" How did one not continue a pregnancy? Was Anja miscarrying?

"Carla is on her way here to perform an abortion."

Mark stood up so swiftly he banged his knees on the desk, the pain brought tears to his eyes…or so he insisted to himself. "No. That's not…"

"She has no choice, Mark," Lewis interrupted…was that compassion in his voice? "She was…injured internally during the rescue mission. It wasn't noticed. But the pre-birth canal was…destroyed. Attempting to deliver offspring would kill her."

Lewis was lying. But he was also telling the truth. Mark dropped back down into the chair. "Tell me the whole story, Lewis. The full truth, please. I need to know it if I'm to do what's best for Anja…and for all of us."


	11. Chapter 11

Anja jumped up out of her chair as she heard a sickening crunching sound from the garage below. That had sounded like…no, it couldn't be. "My bike!" she yelled at the top of her lungs as she all but flew down the stairs. She skidded to a halt on the meticulously cleaned concrete floor, glaring at Lewis and Mark where they stood over her downed Hayabusa. "What do you think you're doing?" she ground out as Lewis stepped onto one of the fiberglass panels, bending it inward.

Mark stared at her, his dark brown eyes filled with sorrow. "You've had an accident, Anja," he informed her.

"What?" They'd lost it, she decided as she watched Lewis pick her bike up and then begin to clean up the paint and scrape marks it had left on the otherwise pristine floor.

"You can't risk another pregnancy," Lewis said. "Your sudden infertility must be explained in a way that would not…diminish you. So…the doctors have determined that you suffered internal injuries during Tom's rescue that were aggravated by an accident on your bike while you were evading those who wished to prevent your recent return from the council. You are bleeding internally," he informed her, his expression an odd mixture of mischief and solemnity.

Ah, this is what Tate had been babbling about when he'd assured her that Lewis was going to 'handle the situation'. "A good thing to know."

"Yes. You weren't fully aware of this; you've just felt weak since your accident yesterday. Today you were bleeding vaginally off-cycle and felt even weaker so presented yourself for an exam where the internal bleeding was discovered."

Anja shrugged. "How come I don't smell any blood?"

Lewis actually smirked this time, and produced a butterfly knife, flicking it open with a practiced twist. "Normally I'd suggest the inner thigh, but on you, that's practically public territory…better cut within the scar tissue on your hip."

She opened her mouth to challenge him over the insult; Mark beat her to it. "You're pushing it, Lewis. I will not allow you to insult m…Anja."

"She's the one that got pregnant," he pointed out, sounding defensive.

"Your brother shares no responsibility for that?" Mark asked. His brother? Damien? Anja groaned and turned away from them. Of course! Why had she not noticed the resemblance_? Probably too busy admiring their looks to compare them_, she snorted to herself.

"Use the knife, little one," Lewis said in her ear, his tone soothing. She glared over her shoulder at him and he sighed. "I…apologize," he muttered. "I am concerned for you. You played a dangerous game with Damien, one that you were fortunate to survive. I don't…My mate is distraught," he concluded awkwardly.

"It was my duty," she said, raising her chin.

"Anja!" Mark admonished. "How could you think such a thing?"

She stepped behind her car, unzipped her pants and made a tiny nick with the sharp blade. After wiping it on the inside of the pants near the cut she folded it, zipped up, and then returned to hand the knife back to Lewis. "You said get all possible information, any way I could," she told Mark. "This was possible and something I could do." Anja bit back a laugh as Lewis and Mark groaned in unison.

"Well, never let it be said that she interprets her orders too narrowly," Lewis commented.

Mark looked at him, shaking his head. "I don't know what to do with her."

"Yes, you do. You just _won't_," Anja snapped.

Mark deserved that, Lewis thought. "Are you ready?" he asked the courier, suppressing a smile.

"For what? Hey!" she yelled as he scooped her up. "Put me down!"

"Give her to me," Mark insisted.

"No. It's my duty to take my sib to the infirmary."

"What?" Anja seemed confused. "_Keri_ is my sib."

"True. And she is my bond mate. Therefore, her sib is my sib. Now, be silent. You're supposed to be weakened and in pain, hmm?"

"That make me your sib? Oh, cool. Didn't know that." Lewis raised an eyebrow at her. How could she not…? She shrugged in his grasp. "Never knew bonded pair before. They rare in Europe."

"They're rare here as well," Mark spoke up. "It's fortunate that we have two pairs in the fa…same family." He turned to glare at the arbiter. Mark had almost automatically included Keridwen and him as part of the coexistence faction.

"What two?"

Lewis felt his mouth twitch as he fought to suppress what promised to be a rather nasty grin. It wasn't going to be as difficult to get Anja to act as though she were sick as he had thought. "Tom and Sloan bonded last night," he informed her.

"What? Your cousin and the bim…uh, sapiens bit…uh, female?"

"No, _our _cousin and Dr. Parker." He pressed his lips harder together as Anja began to look a bit green. "Which means that Dr. Parker…Sloan…is now _our _cousin as well."

"Noooooooooo," Anja moaned as they emerged from the building.

... ...

Karl turned at the sound of a female moaning painfully. His eyes widened as he watched Lewis carrying the courier, Anja, across the complex. Curiosity aroused, he started to follow, then saw Mark leaving the garage accompanied by Dr. Tate and the sapiens woman that Tom always addressed as 'Dr. T'. The three hurried after Lewis and his burden. No one had informed him of any problems, perhaps the courier was ill? He picked up his pace to follow, stopping as he heard Alexa call out to him.

"Commander!"

"Yes, chameleon?"

"They have the situation in hand," she informed him.

He stared at her, letting a challenge surface in his normally placid demeanor. "I'm in charge of security. If there _is_ a situation, why have I not been informed?"

"Because security has not been compromised. Anja had an accident on her bike. She'll be treated for her injuries," she said, turning away from him.

"I see." He frowned then followed the direction of her rather intense gaze. Alexa was staring at Dr. Tate, her running partner for the past few days. "Alexa, may I ask a question?"

She turned back to him. "Of course."

"I'm told that Tom has taken Dr. Parker as his mate."

"They've achieved a mating bond. What is your question?"

Bond mates? Hmm. Tom and Dr. Parker…Lewis and Keri Ashton. Jeffrey was seeing Dr. Townsend. And Alexa…perhaps Tracie would not be out of place here. "I notice that intermixing between the species seems to be tolerated here. Your relationship with Dr. Tate, for example…" he broke off as she leveled an arctic glare at him.

"I do _not_ have a relationship with Dr. Tate," she grated, then stalked off.

"My mistake," he said thoughtfully.

"What's that?" Karl spun on his heel as a voice sounded behind him. "Sorry," Jeffrey Garrett said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Didn't mean to startle you."

"I was preoccupied."

"Obviously," the man chuckled. "So what did you mistake?"

Karl shook his head. "Everything, no doubt. I suppose that you do not have a relationship with Dr. Townsend any more than Alexa has one with Dr. Tate."

"Ah…well. I'm willing to admit that I'm certainly working on having an actual relationship with Caryn. But it's true; Alexa does not have a relationship with Tate. Mutual attraction, eating breakfast together every morning for over a week, and meeting for morning runs does not a relationship make," Jeffrey said, obviously fighting a grin. "Yet."

"So interspecies relationships are encouraged here?"

"Hmm. Well, I wouldn't say encouraged exactly. They've just been happening. Why do you ask?"

"You care for Dr. Townsend," Karl stated. "Do you think she's safe here?"

... ...

Jeffrey blinked. What a question. Why would Karl…hmm. "Um, Karl? You were serving in the council's Alaska project for over a year, and then you spent four months in the US Army's custody in Fort Lewis. When did you find time to develop a relationship with a sapiens?"

The new commander of the faction's soldiers turned calm brown eyes toward him. "I did not say that I had."

"You can't bullshit a sensitive. Out with it."

Karl took a deep breath. "There was a young woman working at Ft. Lewis, I met her when they allowed me to visit their library…"

"You fell for a librarian?"

"She was _not _a librarian," the man's tone was quelling.

"Oh. Sorry."

"She was a programmer, working on contract for the military, overseeing the installation of an interactive computer system for the base."

"Impressive. What does she look like?"

"Exotic. Her ethnic heritage is half-Japanese and half-Chinese, but her parents were both born in America. Exquisite, like a porcelain doll, with arched brows set in a natural imperious expression."

"Nice. Does she speak either of her heritage languages?"

Karl visibly hesitated. "Speak…yes. Yes, she's fluent in both, and in American English, of course."

"Damn, she'd be a great asset to the faction. And I'm sure she'd be safe here. We could use another programmer, not to mention a translator. There are always satellite transmissions that need to be interpreted. I don't think we have a translator for Chinese…is it Mandarin she's fluent in or Cantonese, or one of the less common dialects?"

"She cannot serve as a translator for us." He turned abruptly and marched away.

"Hey, Karl! Wait…what's the problem? She doesn't have to be a translator if she doesn't want to."

"Forget it. It was a mistake to mention her."

"No, Karl…"

"The discussion is over."

Jeffrey frowned as Karl disappeared around the side of the barracks building. "Shit. What the hell did I say?"

... ...

Anja brooded as she waited for Carla to arrive. Lewis had asked her to allow Keri to come see her, but she'd refused...repeatedly. He'd become quite annoyed before finally giving up and going away. Let him be annoyed. She didn't need her pleased to be pregnant sib here feeling sorry for her.

The inactivity was getting to her already, and it had only been three hours. Carla wouldn't arrive before noon tomorrow. She understood the need for her to play sick, but it really galled her. She frowned as she felt someone enter the building and head towards the infirmary. Time to slide down into the bed and pretend to be weak. Oh, wait. It was Mark…again.

"I thought you might like some company," he said as he closed the door behind him.

She shrugged. "Not really." Not his, anyway. He kept staring at her, his chocolate colored eyes so damn sad. It wasn't that he was feeling sorry for her…if that had been the case she'd have kicked his ass already. No, the sadness was a sense of loss. What he thought _he'd_ lost, though, she didn't understand.

"Are you sure you're okay about this?" he asked, gesturing vaguely.

"What this? Pretending to be injured? Sure. Won't have to deal with stupid questions."

"Yes. I mean, no. Anja…" he abruptly stood and walked to the window and focused. Apparently satisfied, he returned to the visitor's chair. "I'm talking about the…the abortion," he said in a hushed voice.

She snorted. "I'd better be okay with it, ja? I'm not risking my life for that bastard's offspring."

"No, of course not."

Anja sighed. If anything, he looked even sadder. "Mark, what the hell you want from me? You wouldn't have me because you thought I might want more kids. Now you know I can't have more and you upset."

"I'm not upset. Well, not about that."

"Then what?"

"I…I don't quite understand it myself."

"So…go away until you figure it out." She glared at him until he stood and walked to the door. He hesitated halfway through it, and her exasperation got the better of her. His startled expression and hasty retreat when she snarled her annoyance cheered her up considerably.

... ...

They were taking the limousine…complete with darkened windows and uniformed driver. Lewis was wearing a gray Armani suit with a navy silk dress shirt. He looked fabulous. The rimless glasses with blue tinted lenses actually looked sexy as hell with his outfit. Keri sighed as she glanced down at her gauze skirt and tunic top. She did not look like she belonged with him at all…but then she never had.

Lewis shook his head at her sigh. "Keridwen…"

"I know. I'm sorry. You just look so great, and I look…well…not nearly so great. They're going to wonder what you see in me."

"Let them wonder. They'll probably assume, and quite correctly, that you are incredible in bed."

"Am I?" she found herself asking reflexively. "Thank you!"

He smiled as she moved to rub her head against his shoulder. "You're welcome, my own." She looked up in time to see an eyebrow rise and a chuckle emerge."And considering that I'll have long red hair clinging to my suit, they'll be wondering if I'd been taking advantage of your talents on the way there."

"Oh! Lewis!" She sat up and started picking stray strands of hair from his shoulder.

"Leave it. I'll enjoy their speculation."

"Well, I won't. I'll be embarrassed as all hell."

His reply was interrupted as the car stopped and the glass that separated them from the driver's compartment began to lower. "We're here, sir," the driver announced.

"So we are." Lewis didn't move; he was staring at the driver expectantly.

Keri giggled. The dominant had obviously never had formal chauffeur duties before. "You're supposed to get out and open the door. _My_ door, and then you give me your hand to help me out, after that, you stand at attention while Lewis gets out," she informed him. "Once we're out, you close the car door and then go open the store's door for us. Then you return and stand by the car until you see us heading out and then you open my door. You don't come for the store's door again, on our way out that's their obligation."

The driver nodded, put up the glass, and then exited the vehicle. "I was assured he was a trained driver," Lewis complained.

"I'm sure he is…probably in anti-terrorist driving like I am. But he's not a trained chauffeur. Were you specific about wanting a chauffeur when you asked for a trained driver?"

"No. No, cherished, I was not."

"There you go, then."

Lewis shook his head as Keridwen finished her pronouncement. His mate was enjoying the chance to be 'useful', however small that opportunity was. He sobered quickly. They needed to find some way for her to feel useful on a permanent basis, before she became depressed. Or, as was more likely, before she got them into trouble. He smiled again as she climbed out of the car, firmly resisting the urge to stroke her full round bottom.

Stepping out after her, he reached out for her hand and tucked it between his arm and side. Her elegant fingers spread out on his arm, the perfectly manicured nails gleaming against the pale gray of his sleeve. They would not mistake Keridwen for anything less than a woman of means, despite her modest clothing and jewelry. She'd tucked her wild hair up into an intricate coil, and the way she held herself shouted old money. "Ready, my own?" he asked.

"Absolutely."

They waited at the door as the store's owner came to unlock it. The man was smiling broadly. "I'm Harlan Kerkezian, Mr. Lewis. Welcome to _The Gem House_."

"Thank you, Mr. Kerkezian," Lewis told the sapiens as they entered. "May I introduce my fiancée, Keridwen?" He bit back a smile as the man's eyes widened and began to dart back and forth between the two of them. "I see she needs no further introduction, hmm?" Kerkezian evidently recognized his mate from the television reports, and therefore likely realized just who and what he was as well.

"Ah…no. You are…incognito. Well…that isn't a problem. Here at _The Gem House_ we pride ourselves on our discretion. Many powerful men make regular purchases here…purchases which are, shall we say, for _close friends_ rather than their wives. What is one more secret, yes?"

"One more secret, indeed." Lewis allowed himself the small smile. He'd been referred to this particular jeweler by one of those very same powerful men, a politician who was, in fact, homo sapiens-dominant and living undercover amongst their prey. "You have engagement rings to show us?"

"Yes, yes, certainly." Kerkezian turned the business hours sign to read 'closed' and pulled the shade on the door, then led the way back to an alcove furnished with several cherry wood chairs and a matching mid-thigh height table. "Please, sit and be comfortable. May I offer you something to drink? Champagne perhaps?"

He looked at Keridwen, raising an eyebrow questioningly. Her agreement was easy to read. This was the kind of service she was accustomed to. "Of course." He reached out and took her left hand in his. It felt strange to have her sitting on his right side, but if he were to help her choose, it was best.

The storeowner waved his hand at a woman standing in a doorway marked 'Employees Only', then seated himself in the third chair. "We have quite a selection of diamonds and both stock and custom settings. Would you prefer platinum or gold?"

"Platinum"

"Gold," Keridwen said almost simultaneously. She frowned and looked up at him. "I know platinum is a more valuable metal, but I don't like the way it looks on me."

"As you wish, cherished."

"Gold it is," Kerkezian agreed, beaming. The woman, a tall and very busty brunette, set two champagne flutes on the table and handed him a bottle of Dom Pérignon.

Lewis noted the vintage with approval and watched as the cork was expertly popped and the champagne poured. 1992 was a notable year for Dom Pérignon; it had garnered a ninety-six rating if he recalled correctly. The first glass was presented to him for approval and he sipped it with appreciation.

"Good yes?"

"Yes, quite." He waited while Keridwen was given her glass. "To our future, love?" he asked quietly.

She smiled and blushed at the rare endearment. "Yes, to our future."

"Very nice, very nice," the storeowner said. "Now, the diamonds…"

... ...

Keri sighed, trying to restrain her impatience. Diamonds…why was it always diamonds? Sure, they glittered and all, but they were just kind of…there. "What's wrong, Keridwen?" her mate asked.

"I know it's traditional and all, but do we have to do diamonds?"

He shrugged. "Of course not. What would you prefer? Rubies? No, that would be too much red with your hair. Emeralds perhaps?"

"I was thinking sapphire."

Kerkezian frowned, obviously agitated. "Will that be a problem?" Lewis asked him.

"Oh, no, of course not, sir. It will take a few moments while I return the diamonds to the vault and bring out the sapphires, though. We do keep an extensive collection of colored stones here as well…not quite as extensive as the diamonds since they're not as much in demand, but certainly we have the best selection in the Central Valley…and beyond!" the man babbled.

"Fine," Lewis told him.

"Can we start looking at settings while you're doing that?" Keri asked.

"Certainly, certainly. This is my assistant, Sandra Farrier. She does much of my custom work. "Sandra, bring the gold settings and help Mr. Lewis and his fiancée with them, would you?"

The woman…Sandra smiled and nodded and brought out several teak trays lined with dark blue velvet that held an assortment of gold settings. She also pulled over a stool and sat on it, leaving the other chair empty for her employer. "Our stock settings are in this tray," she told them in a pleasantly husky voice. "They vary from traditional to modern." Her hand swept from one side to the other as she explained.

"I told them your ring size when I made the appointment," Lewis breathed in Keri's ear. She shivered and looked up at him. Sometimes she could swear he actually read her mind. "No, my own, I simply have come to know you quite well."

"Right. Sure." Keri giggled as both eyebrows rose almost on cue. She was coming to know him quite well too. A slight sound caught her attention and she could feel herself blush as she saw Sandra's smile. "Yeah, I know. We're still in that _too cute_ stage."

"Cute? Keridwen, I assure you, I am _not_ cute."

She sniffed, "Says you."

Lewis sighed and shook his head. "Do you see anything you like?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

Keri exchanged a conspiratorial glance with Sandra. "Oh yeah," she said, trying to hide her mischievous mood from her mate.

"Good. Show me."

"Got a mirror?" she asked Sandra who nearly choked trying to stifle laughter.

"Keridwen!" Lewis said, somehow managing to sound stern and aggrieved at the same time.

"Sorry, love. You've got to be more specific."

... ...

Sandra bit her lip, desperate to suppress her laughter. This 'Mr. Lewis' wouldn't appreciate it, and Harlan would be livid. These two 'people' were quite a pair though. Obviously very much in love and not afraid to show it. That was nice. She tried to remember what had been said on TV. The man, she thought, was one of that new species, but the woman wasn't? Oh yes, that was it. The woman was an heiress. Her mouth twisted wryly…a new species of man, right. All men were the same.

She gasped as she noticed the man glaring at her. He'd removed the glasses and tucked them in a pocket of his obviously expensive suit and his eyes practically glowed with annoyance. "You will cease to speculate," he ordered her quietly.

"I…I wasn't…"

"Lewis, please," the woman…Keridwen…said. "That's not speculation, that's honest curiosity. You've got to admit, we kind of warrant curiosity."

He frowned at his fiancée. "That's what you pick up?"

"Yes."

"Very well." He sat back in the chair, still frowning, but the laser-like intensity of his eyes had softened to the glow of London Blue Topaz.

"I actually like the idea of a traditional setting," Keridwen said, turning her attention back to the rings. "It's just the all diamonds thing kind of turns me off."

Sandra nodded. She could understand that. Diamonds would be as lost against this woman's vivid coloring as the muted earth tones of her outfit. "I think sapphires are an excellent choice for you. Emeralds would be good too, but…"

"They're a bit too obvious with the hair, huh?"

"Yes, exactly."

She looked up as Harlan returned with several locked trays of gems. "We're leaning towards a traditional setting," she advised him.

"Ah, excellent, excellent." He set the trays down on the table. "I brought a tray of smaller diamonds along with the sapphires…in case you wish to consider using them as accents?"

"That might be nice," Keridwen said absently as she held up one of the gold settings. Sandra smiled. While it was traditional, it wasn't a stock setting. It was one of her best original designs. "There's something about this one…it just kind of calls to me."

"Try it on, cherished," her fiancé said. Cherished. Huh. That was a sweet endearment.

Keridwen slipped the ring on her finger and held it out to him. He took her hand and turned it slightly, leveling a critical gaze on the deceptively intricate setting. "Interesting," he allowed. "Perhaps we can see it with stones placed in it?"

"Wonderful idea," Harlan beamed.

He really did go over the top with his effusiveness. Their customers were starting to get annoyed. "May I choose the stones for you?" she asked them.

Mr. Lewis nodded rather regally. She smiled and looked quickly down at the tray of sapphires that Harlan had unlocked. Ah yes…that was the one she'd had in mind. Pulling her small tool case from her pocket, she leaned over the table and gently set the 2.12-carat Yogo Blue Marquis-cut Sapphire in the center setting. She tapped the prongs gently so that it wouldn't slide out while they were looking at the ring. "Would you prefer the baguettes to be diamonds or sapphires?" she asked.

Keridwen looked at the setting closely. On either side of the space for the center stone was an 'X' design of four baguettes with a place for a small round stone set in the three outside 'V's of the design. "Um, sapphires, I think," she said, just as her fiancé said 'Diamonds'.

"Sapphires," he agreed, shaking his head and looking amused. Keridwen grinned up at him as he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Shall I keep my opinions to myself?" he asked her.

"No, not at all. Diamonds might look better; I just want to see the sapphires first."

"I see. Humoring me, cherished?"

"Well…a little."

Sandra concentrated on dropping the eight sapphire baguettes into place as she hid another smile. Regardless of what the man thought of himself, the two of them were _very_ cute together. Harlan had finally shut up and was sitting in his chair with a vague smile, watching them all avidly. Tapping the prongs over to temporarily hold the baguettes she asked, "Diamonds for the accent stones?"

The engaged couple looked at each other before answering this time. Keridwen nodded almost imperceptibly, and Lewis…she'd finally decided that it was really his first name, chuckled. "Yes, diamonds," he said firmly.

She couldn't help laughing aloud. "Diamonds it is."

... ...

An hour later the engagement ring and a matching wedding band were set with sapphires and diamond accent stones. Sandra had drawn a design of a wedding ring for Lewis; an otherwise plain band with three diamond-cut 'X' designs each with a tiny sapphire set in its center, and had promised it would be ready in time for the wedding. Keri smiled at her mate's put upon sigh. "If I have to wear something that tells everyone I'm taken, so do you," she told him.

"Did I object?"

"Well, no. But you don't like the idea."

"I'm not fond of wearing jewelry, my own. That's all."

"Oh, okay." She left him to settle up with the storeowner and walked over to talk to Sandra. "You're Wiccan," she said without preamble.

"Ah, yes. How did you know?"

"A hunch, I tend to get them."

"Uh huh. You get a lot more than that, I'm sure."

Keri chuckled. "Yes. But actually, I didn't even think about it until I noticed something odd."

"What's that?"

"The stone count for every custom setting is a multiple of three. I assume you made all of them?"

"Yes…really? Huh. I didn't even realize I was doing that."

"Yep. Have you ever worked with crystals?"

"Uh, you mean power crystals? Yes, I've done some wire wrap designs."

"Great. My last set was…broken." She frowned at the uncomfortable memories; then shook them off. "I need amethysts. One center spear, around two inches long, and eight graduated drops, four on each side of the center, the largest of them about one inch long."

"Set in silver?"

"Yessss. I hate the way silver looks on me, but it's necessary for this. I want the chain adjustable, you know, with the hook at the end that can be put in several different places to make it different lengths?"

"Got it.

Keri grinned. "That way I can wear it under my clothes when I want to wear gold."

Sandra chuckled. "Very practical."

"I try."

"When do you need that by, Miss…"

"Oh, call me Keri. Um, this isn't a big rush; I've been managing without it for a few weeks." She sighed. "I do really miss it though. The crystals really help with my chakra balancing.

"Why don't I make my first priority the wedding band and then work on the necklace.

"That sounds great. Thanks!"

... ...

Lewis took Keridwen's hand as they left the limo and headed for the kitchen door. He wanted to give her the engagement ring in private, along with a few other items he'd picked up while she was discussing some sort of crystals with the jeweler. He frowned at the sight of Jeffrey standing in the doorway, evidently waiting for them.

"Good, you're back. Keri, I need your help with something."

Keridwen looked up at him, then at Jeffrey. "I'll be with you in a little while, okay?"

"I'd really rather this not wait…"

"Deal with it," Lewis interrupted. "She will meet you in the library later."

"Ah…"

"About a half…oh," Keridwen stopped herself from committing on a time and looked up at him as he sent his disapproval. "You have a time frame in mind, Lewis?" she asked.

"She'll meet you just before dinner."

"This may be…" Jeffrey trailed off at his glare.

"Are lives in immediate danger?"

Jeffrey sighed. "No. I suppose it can wait."

Lewis didn't bother to answer him. He tugged on Keridwen's hand as she lagged behind, and continued through to the stairs and on up to their suite.

"Maybe it wouldn't have taken too long," she muttered as the door closed behind them.

"I am your mate. My needs are your priority."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I know that. But if it had been something quick, I could have handled it and then we could have skipped going down to dinner if we wanted. Now we actually have a time limit."

Damn. She was right. Ah well… "Nothing is ever quick with these people."

... ...

"_These people_?" She frowned and pulled away. "Oh, Lewis. They're our friends…okay, _my _friends. And you know Jeff doesn't ask me for things. Never mind," she concluded, as he was about to protest. "It's water under the bridge already."

He frowned and took her arm, leading her over to the chaise. She raised an eyebrow but sat and folded her hands in her lap. Her other eyebrow rose as he dropped to one knee.

"Lewis, tell me you aren't…" Keri broke off as she noticed the gleam in his eyes. "Oh dear. You are. But, you already _did_ this!"

He took her left hand in one of his; he was holding the sapphire engagement ring in the other. "Keridwen Elizabeth Ashton. You are my life. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

She could feel her cheeks heating up in a furious blush. "Well, it's a bit late for me to do anything else don't…oh, sorry." He was frowning at her. Here he was trying to be romantic and she'd ruined his perfect proposal. Keri bit her lip and looked up at him. "Yes, Lewis. I love you and I'd love to be your wife."

Lewis smiled and slipped the ring on her finger and drew her close for a tender kiss. He pulled back abruptly. "Why are you crying, cherished?"

Sighing, she slid her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. "Because you love me enough to do all of this traditional human stuff; I know it doesn't really mean anything to you."

"On the contrary. If it makes you happy it means everything to me. You _are_ my life, Keridwen. Are you happy, my own?"

"Very," she sniffed.


	12. Chapter 12

Jeffrey paced outside the library. Keri should have been down here already. No doubt she and Lewis were…hmm. He peered through the open doors of the library and out the French doors. No sign of Caryn coming from the infirmary or lab either. Ooookay. Enough of that line of thought…at least until later. He looked up at a faint click of a door closing somewhere upstairs. Was it…? Yes, Keri was on her way down. Moving quickly, he entered the library and sat down in an armchair. While he wouldn't be able to fool her into thinking he wasn't anxious about speaking with her, at least he wouldn't look so much on edge.

"Hi, sorry I'm late," Keri said as she entered the room and dropped into the chair across from him. "What's so important?"

"Well…I don't know that it's important, but it's odd and considering who's involved it could be…"

"Jeff Garrett, you still can't come to the point in less than five minutes, can you?"

Jeffrey sighed. "I do try." He frowned as she chuckled. "Keri, our new Security Commander is hiding something…I don't _think_ it really affects us, but we can't afford to take any chances."

She shrugged. "So? Can't Mark figure it out? I thought Lewis told me that arbiters were trained to get the truth."

"Sure they are, but not subtly. And I really don't want to piss Karl off over this. I really don't think it's a problem for us."

"Right. And when's the last time you were right about something…ah, I'm sorry," she interrupted herself as he bit off a snarl. "I was teasing. You do remember teasing, don't you?"

"Just barely. Damn it, Keri, you're the only woman who's ever dared…"

"Oh, come on. You mean Caryn doesn't tease you? She's gotta be at least as bad as I am that way."

"That," he informed her, "is different."

"Uh huh. So why do you think I won't piss him off?"

"Oh, come on," he echoed intentionally. "You know how good you are. You'll get him to talk about it and he'll think it's his idea."

"I don't know, Jeff. Karl doesn't approve of me."

"What? Why?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure…but you know how Anja feels about Sloan?" Keri paused as he frowned. "That's how he sees me."

"You've got to be kidding."

"Nope. He thinks I'm a useless, brainless, bim…uh, female."

"That's ridiculous. You're brilliant, anyone can see that."

"Can they? Sloan's brilliant, hell, she's damn near a genius, but what's the general opinion on her among your people?"

Jeffrey sighed. "Okay, good point. Tom and Karl are the only ones that are particularly impressed with her. After the Alaska fiasco, Karl practically thinks she walks on water."

"Well, he's seen her at work. No one else has…well, except Lewis, and he's so pissed that she took Tom away from him that he wouldn't admit that there's _anything_ positive about her." She turned and gave him a wry look. "And Karl has _not_ seen me at work."

"Maybe that would be an advantage for you. He won't be expecting you to be able to read him."

Keri's sudden chuckle was absolutely wicked. "A stealth reading, huh? Okay, I'll do it. I need to keep in practice anyway."

"Great, thanks…I owe you."

"Right…NOT." Her expression saddened as he tried to disagree. "No, really, Jeff. I've been feeling kind of useless. At least this is something I can help with."

"Use…hell, Keri. You are the least useless female I've ever met, sapiens or dominant." He frowned as her eyes filled with tears. "What's wrong?"

She sighed, shaking her head. "All my PSI testing is on hold…most of the subjects are unavailable. Since Lewis won't commit to coexistence, Mark can't let me help with anything that could compromise his organization…and I can't blame him. I'd never intentionally betray you guys, but I might accidentally say something to Lewis when I shouldn't. After all, I trust him with my life."

"Hmm. You must be bored out of your mind. You always had a couple of projects going."

"Yeah. It's the pits."

"Have you talked to your mate about it?"

"We're going to try and find me something to do tonight. What, I don't know."

"I'm sorry," he offered, cupping her cheek and jaw in his hand.

... ...

Lewis stopped short in the doorway. His jaw clenched and a growl escaped before he could suppress it. The two standing in the library turned to stare at him. "You will remove your hand or you will lose it," he said, his voice unnaturally quiet.

"Of course," Jeffrey said calmly and stepped away from Keridwen. "No offense intended, Lewis."

Keridwen was not nearly so calm. "Lewis, what's wrong?" she snapped, her tone reflecting the irritation he felt spike through the bond.

"You are my bonded mate. He has no business being so familiar with you."

Her sigh echoed her exasperation. "Jeff is an old friend. He didn't mean anything…"

"I know that. If he had, he would no longer be among the living."

"What? Oh for…get a grip. You know it doesn't mean anything, but you still can't deal with it?" She lifted her left hand, practically shoving her ring in his face. "I'm your fiancée, Lewis, not your possession."

"Keridwen…according to our customs, you are exactly that."

Jeffrey spoke up. "Keri, it's okay, really."

"No, Jeff, it isn't. This…ah, damn it."

Lewis frowned. Doors had opened on the second and third floors. Other residents of the main house were heading down for dinner. "We will discuss this later, my own. It's time for dinner."

She pulled away as he reached for her arm. "I _used_ to consider that an endearment."

"It's meant as such."

"Is it? Or is it a reinforcement of the idea that you possess me?" She shook her head, sadness and disgust warring for dominance in her aura. "You know what? I'm not hungry. Good night." She turned on her heel and headed for the stairs.

"Keridwen…" he started to follow her, then half turned and snarled as Jeffrey grabbed his arm.

"Let her go, Lewis. She doesn't understand and if you try to talk to her about it before she cools down, you're both going to regret it."

That was it...no more interference. He took Jeffrey by the throat, lifted him and slammed him up against the wall before the younger man could react. His grin was mirthless…so what if he was nearly ten years older…his health and fitness were restored and…damn. None of that mattered to his mate. He began to relax his grip.

... ...

Mark frowned when Keri ran past him as he descended the stairs. A sudden flash of alarm washed over him, followed by desperation. He quickened his pace and soon heard several other sets of footsteps converging on the source of the problem…the library. He entered with Alexa and Karl hard on his heels to find Jeffrey dangling from Lewis' grasp. This was not good.

"Oh, Jesus," Dr. Tate breathed as he skidded to a halt just behind Alexa.

Mark grimaced. What tone to take? How could he get Lewis to release Jeffrey rather than simply snap his neck in annoyance? Lewis respected strength and resolve. **_"Put him down, Lewis."_** He kept his tone even and non-threatening but put as much force in the command voice as he could manage.

Lewis turned to glare at them balefully, but carefully set his captive down on the floor. Jeffrey rubbed his throat and collapsed in a chair. Caryn Townsend slipped out from behind Alexa and Tate and moved to hover over Jeffrey protectively. She had the good sense not to aggravate the situation by confronting Lewis in any way, but her eyes had become as hard and cold as fine jade.

"I tire of your interference," Lewis ground out, making it clear that he was addressing all of them. "Both with my property and with my mate. You will plan to remove yourselves." He paused, his expression considering. "I'll give you two weeks to comply."

It was time to apprise Lewis of the latest development Anja had reported. He waited until the older man had almost reached the door to speak. "We won't be going anywhere. You need us to protect your mate." He forced himself to hold his position as Lewis turned on his heel to confront him.

"_I_ will protect my mate. I am fully recovered and no longer require assistance."

Mark smiled grimly as Lewis turned back towards the door. "Perhaps if the council was not about to launch a campaign against the partially adapted your protection would suffice. Do you truly believe that you alone can protect her from their direct interest?"

True to his expectations, Lewis halted again, his back stiffening. He waited patiently as the former chameleon master turned…his shock and dismay plain to read. "The council…why are they interested in the partially adapted? What use could they possibly have…" he trailed off.

"You've found one…_useful_," Mark commented mildly. Lewis' flash of anger at the comment was also as expected…good. "The council's researchers have developed a genogenesis serum that can alter sapiens DNA. It basically restructures the individual from the inside out."

"I'm familiar with the project," Lewis said dryly.

"It's invariably fatal when used on true sapiens. However, it has proven to be uniformly successful on the partially adapted."

"Oh God," Tate muttered in the background. "Did they use ticks as a delivery system?"

Everyone turned to stare at the tall doctor. "Ticks?" Mark asked.

"Yeah, there was a girl, Kelly, who was kidnapped by Randall Lynch. We, uh, Tom, rescued her and her friend and we sent them home to their parents. The other girl…Darcy, I think her name was, disappeared without a trace. Kelly ended up on the ledge of a roof, ready to jump because she was in horrible pain and having PTSD episodes."

Mark waited patiently for Tate to explain what this had to do with the council's experiment, but the man had fallen silent and was staring pensively at the floor. "And?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. The police called me in and I got her back to the lab. She was running dangerously high fevers, had spiking headaches…way past a migraine type of pain, and was experiencing personality shifts. Actually attacked me physically…almost sexually." Dr. Tate's face was a study in embarrassment. "Then she just died in her sleep. Later we found a tick under her skin and it was secreting a substance that we determined caused genetic alteration. It changed our lab monkey from primate base to a 1.6 differential."

Interesting. This was not something Dr. Attwood had mentioned in his debriefing. "Did the monkey survive?"

"Well…I guess I didn't control the experiment very well. We were treating this as a weapon to be used against us so I developed a kind of counter-serum. But instead of changing a second monkey and then using the counter-serum to change it back to base, I used the counter-serum on the initial monkey. It died; its system couldn't take the stress and began to break down internally…it bled out. I don't know if that would have happened with just the initial change. I didn't leave it at 1.6 long enough."

"Hmm. We can get you lab animals to continue the experiment…" he broke off as Tate shook his head.

"The CIA confiscated everything; I don't have a sample of the serum."

Lewis cleared his throat, looking very annoyed. "You seem to have forgotten something, Mark. Keridwen is half of a bonded pair, a breeding pair. Not even the council may harm her."

"Yeah, but would your people consider that harming her," Ed retorted before Mark could answer. "Maybe they'd just think they were improving her."

"There is that," Mark agreed.

"I bonded with her as partially adapted. Were her genetics altered she would not be the same woman I bonded with…that constitutes harm under our law."

Mark shrugged. "That is a detail the council might find it convenient to ignore. And if not, they can simply wait until she is no longer fertile and give the serum to her then. Meanwhile, we have other partially adapted to protect."

... ...

Ed frowned as several pairs of eyes darted in his direction and then slid away. Why were they looking at him? Or were they? He looked around and behind him…no one else was even close.

"I have no need to protect the far flung members of your faction. My mate is my priority and I can protect her without your help."

"Uh, Lewis?" Jeff croaked. "Keri might appreciate your being willing to help protect her friends here."

Ed watched Lewis' eyebrows shoot up, and then frowned as Mark, Jeff, Alexa, and Caryn glanced at him and then away for the second time. What the hell was going on? "Okay, why does everybody keep looking at me?" The four were now looking anywhere _but_ at him. "Caryn? What gives?" Caryn sank down on the arm of Jeff's chair and busied herself with examining the injured man's throat for what had to be the fifth time. "Jeff?" Jeff shrugged and gestured at his throat.

"It _is_ the genes," Lewis exclaimed in a satisfied tone. "I knew it couldn't be the training." All eyes turned to Lewis. "It has to be a deficiency in Daniel and Garrett's line that both of their sons are attracted to sapiens," he explained cryptically.

Only Alexa seemed to understand. "You must have been quite annoyed," she said.

"Annoyed at _what_?" Ed finally shouted. Would someone please tell me what the _hell _you're talking about?"

... ...

Alexa gritted her teeth. This was not the time or the place for Ed to be told something of such impact. "Dr. Tate…" she began, trying to keep it impersonal.

"No way," he said vehemently, the truth finally sinking in. "There's just no…ah, jeez. That can't…no." He backed slowly away from them, his eyes darting back and forth.

She could sense a trapped feeling; he was bordering on panic. "Ed, calm down. You're among friends." Why wasn't Mark projecting calm? She looked at the arbiter…he was trying, but appeared to be in pain. Damn, he must have overextended himself trying to deal with Lewis. Bloody marvelous. "Look, why don't we…" she broke off as Ed dashed out of the room. "Damn it!" Turning to glare at Lewis she told him, "Somehow I'm certain this is _your_ fault."

"This is definitely _not_ my fault," Alexa heard her sire say as she followed Ed down the hall towards the kitchen.

... ...

Lewis returned the stares of those remaining in the library. "I had nothing to do with either Dr. Tate's DNA or his ignorance of his status," he said defensively. "It was at least as much of a surprise to me as it was to him." He glared in Caryn Townsend's direction as a nervous giggle escaped her.

"Perhaps not," Mark agreed. "But your actions and the need to inform you of the danger to your mate in such a public place did contribute to Dr. Tate's reaction."

"Perhaps it was more your sense of the dramatic, and your desire to force my hand that is responsible for it," he returned silkily.

"It doesn't matter," Karl interrupted. For once the soldier's face was hard. "Tate will calm down eventually and will have to accept it. Meanwhile, I would like to know why I haven't been apprised of this risk to our security. It isn't possible to adequately plan for all contingencies if I'm not kept in the loop."

Lewis nodded his approval. Karl was living up to the expectations he had of him based on their limited contact when the soldier was undergoing advanced training at the chameleon compound. There might indeed be an advantage to allowing the faction to remain with Karl in charge of their security. "I agree. This, in turn, endangers my mate, not to mention her…friends. When were you planning to inform us?"

"I only just found out myself this morning," Mark's tone was grudging. "Their research and an outline of the expected uses of the serum were included in the materials Anja appropriated from her delivery to the council. As to informing you earlier, you know very well that I was…distracted by Anja's…accident."

Anja. He'd almost forgotten about his mate's sib and her problems. As her actions had proved, the courier was dedicated to the faction. She would be torn if the faction was forced to leave…and Keridwen would no doubt be quite depressed if Anja chose the faction over her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could not require that the faction leave, not now when his mate was so emotionally vulnerable. And he had to see to his own relations with her. "Jeffrey," he asked, his eyes snapping open. "You've dealt with angry females on a…romantic level, how do you suggest I deal with Keridwen's upset?" His mouth twitched as all of the others except Jeffrey stared at him in shock. Obviously they thought him too arrogant to consult with an expert when he was out of his depth…or perhaps too arrogant to admit to being out of his depth.

"Not just with angry females," Jeffrey said with a wry grin. "But with an angry Keri. Hmm…" he coughed and cleared his injured throat. "Something she'd never expect from you. Candy…no, flowers, I think. Yeah…dark red roses, the kind with a strong scent. She loves those, and I don't think she'd ever picture you giving her something like that."

"I don't see why not," he mused, putting aside his annoyance at the reminder that Jeffrey had pursued Keridwen with the intent to impregnate her. "I gave her chocolates when I returned from LA."

Jeffrey smirked. "But were they your idea?"

"Hmm. It was my idea to give her something special. One of the sapiens we met with suggested the truffles."

"My point exactly. Oh," he continued as Lewis tried to interrupt. "There's a rose shop on Shaw near Maroa that usually carries them. But call and ask first, I've got the number up in my room."

That answered his question. "Thank you. May I bother you for the number now?"

"Of course." Jeffrey stood and held out a hand to Caryn. The woman looked bemused and bewildered at the turn the conversation had taken. "Will you come upstairs with us?" he asked. She smiled, trying to hide the flash of alarm she had felt, no doubt concerned about leaving Jeffrey alone with the man who had nearly throttled him. Then she blushed and took Jeffrey's hand. Lewis turned away before allowing a grimace to surface.

... ...

Karl looked at Mark. "So much for a peaceful dinner."

"Hmm. Well, I'm not letting it go to waste, they can forage through the leftovers later," Mark returned. "Shall we?"

"Absolutely." They left the library and strolled toward the dining room. "So, are there any other security risks you haven't advised me of?"

Mark sighed. "It was not intentional. I was in the middle of reviewing the material Anja brought back with her when I learned of her…accident."

"There was no accident," Karl said, letting a challenge surface in his voice.

"You will support our statement on it."

"I don't…" he broke off as Mark abruptly steered him into the study and closed the door behind them.

"Karl, she has an injury to her reproductive system. We don't know how or when, but the pre-birth canal was damaged. If she attempts to deliver offspring, it will rupture and she is likely to die. She'll have to be sterilized. You know what will be said if there is no documentation as to the injury. Anja has served us well, and will continue to do so. We feel it is in everyone's best interest to provide that documentation so that she is given the proper respect."

He nodded. "I don't have a problem with that. But this is another example of information that was not provided quickly enough for me to fully support the faction. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course. We…that is, I am simply not used to having you here yet. After we lost Stephen, Alexa was handling everything military related. Since she is still part of all briefings as my second…I will remind both her and Jeffrey that you need to participate in all of our meetings so that if I neglect to include you, they will see to it." He paused, sighing again. "Honestly, Karl. I was not trained to lead. Paul Barnes' death at the hands of the CIA was a devastating blow to us…or at least to me."

"Your leadership seems to be more than adequate. Perhaps a bit undisciplined…"

"I am in a constant state of surprise. None of this was anticipated…we expected to deal with Tom Daniels. Lewis was an unexpected complication, not to mention Keri Ashton. But I think…no, I _know_ that she is the key to our success."

"Surely you jest? She's…well, um, unconventional."

Mark chuckled quietly. "Hmm, well, that is certainly a good description of her, however limiting." He shook his head, his amusement plain to read. "Karl, Keri Ashton is one of the most gifted Empaths I've ever encountered. And she is brilliant, both in general knowledge and in strategy. Even Lewis is impressed with her tactical instincts."

"Sure, for a sapiens, she's gifted."

"Don't be dismissive. I was not limiting my comparison to sapiens. She is more gifted than Lewis. I'm very much afraid that she is also more gifted than Mercedes Andreas."

Karl swallowed his shock. Mercedes was still the council's titular, though rarely consulted advisor, despite her advanced age. Her abilities were legendary…disobedient children were threatened with her name. And this…this…he shook his head. "That is…difficult to believe."

"Why? Because Keri is only partially adapted? We are still very much in the throes of our evolution. Perhaps Keri is an advance that will show up more often as time goes on. Remember, Mercedes' mother was one of the partially adapted."

"I know, and Mercedes' children were all quite gifted, even though no one felt that the sires were worthy of her."

"And of those children, Ryan Patrick was the most gifted," Mark reminded him.

"Ryan…oh…shit. Lewis' father?"

"Yes. You can see why we are so hopeful of what this union will produce, and why both Keri and Lewis are so important to us."

"But Lewis doesn't believe in coexistence."

"He believes in his bond mate."

"But damn it, Mark. She acts like one of those new age airheads."

**ELSEWHERE**

Damien frowned as he approached his office. What was _he _doing here? The boy was supposed to be moving his operation from San Diego to Temple City. Forcing down his anger, he pushed open the door. "About time you showed up," the young man sitting on his desk drawled.

"What do you want, Randall?" Damien asked; his voice mild.

"Well, I've been waiting for orders, but haven't had any. Didn't think you wanted me just to go off on my own." He smiled disarmingly. "You didn't appreciate it when my _brothers_ took matters into their own hands."

"Clones, Randall. They were not your brothers, and to refer to them as such dishonors your true sibs and your mother. I'm sure you appreciate that I will not tolerate your dishonoring my birth-sib in this way. And clones have no discipline. That's why we discontinued the program." He'd sat down in his chair and turned on the computer before the first part of his nephew's statement had registered. "What orders were you waiting for?"

"On the proposal to begin distribution of the engineered ticks," Randall told him, the tone of his voice implying an unspoken 'of course'. "By the way, your new plaything is pretty hot, but you might want to keep an eye on her…hers are wandering."

"What?"

"She was giving me the eye. Hey, at least she's keeping it in the family."

"You will not touch her. I'm certain she's bearing."

"Yeah, noticed that. Take it you're going to keep her as a mate?"

"I've been considering it. She is quite…satisfying."

Randall shrugged. "Let me know if you decide against it, I wouldn't mind sampling that one." He stood and restlessly paced the room. "So, what about my proposal? Will the council authorize the distribution, or not?"

"I've seen no such proposal. When did you send it?"

"I gave it to your little courier playmate when she delivered the funding information on Wednesday. It was in the packet with the rest of the results from the field tests and the data we put together on potential targets." He almost sputtered at the lack of response. "I asked for it to be prioritized for yesterday's meeting. We need to hit the universities with strong athletic programs and the psychic fairs and we need to hit them soon. The participation level of both drops off during the winter. Besides, I'd think you'd want as many conversions as possible before the Chosen do their thing next month."

Damien swallowed. "Anja hasn't returned here yet."

"No? Well, I didn't pass her on the way…I would have noticed that Hayabusa she was riding."

"I want you to discretely check the hospitals en-route back to your base. She had an accident a short time ago and injured her hip. Perhaps she's had another and was injured seriously enough that she was unable to call."

"Or maybe she's found herself some hot young stud that isn't sensitive enough to know that she's b…" Randall's words were satisfyingly choked off as Damien grabbed his nephew by the neck and spun him around.

"She would not…" he ground out. "She is mine." He stared down; frowning as Randall calmly returned the look and waited patiently to be released. Letting go, he dropped back into his chair. "Anja needs no other. I give her all that she can take, and then some."

"Whatever." Randall grabbed the carafe of fresh water that he always kept on his desk and drank directly from it. Damien shook his head; the young had no sense of propriety. "I'll check the hospitals. Hope they didn't examine her belongings too closely."


	13. Chapter 13

By the time Alexa reached the kitchen, the staff had cleared a path for her. They'd evidently picked up on the level of Ed's distress and knew someone would be following him. She nodded her appreciation as she sprinted through; their assistance would enable her to catch up to him with little effort.

He was still running full out when she saw him cutting across the driveway to the main lawn. Eventually, he would have to stop or change course…there was only one egress and that was in the opposite direction. She allowed him to pass the first set of ornamental bushes before she kicked into her top speed. "Uffff!" he yelled as she toppled him to the ground. "Damn it, leave me alone!"

She moved slightly so that he could turn over and then sat down firmly on his abdomen, trapping him on the ground. "Not until we talk."

Ed's expression was mutinous and she could feel the stubbornness practically ooze out of his pores. "Got nothing to say."

"Bullshit." She sighed as he set his jaw. "Ed, you've had a shock, a huge shock. You need to talk about it. Let me help you."

"Christ, Alexa. How can you help me? What are you going to do, tell me that I should be thrilled to not be a mere human?"

She shook her head. "You're still human. You just aren't really homo sapiens-sapiens. And maybe you shouldn't be thrilled, but aren't you relieved? Doesn't this explain a lot of things that you've never really understood?"

He stared at her, eyes narrowed. "You mean like not sleeping much?"

"That's a good start. Your…our metabolism is self-adjusting. If you don't expend a lot of physical energy during the day, you aren't going to need much sleep."

"Sloan always used to scold me about perpetually being in the lab. I just wasn't tired. Huh." He looked up at her and grinned. "Sometimes I'd lie to her and would tell her I'd been too tired to go home and had slept on the cot." He sighed. "And the extremes in hunger?"

"Yes, you can blame that on your metabolism too. The more energy you expend, physical or mental in this case, the hungrier you are going to be."

"Yeah, that sounds right…I could work twenty-four hours straight in the lab, but I had to have a pizza sent in." The corner of his mouth turned up into a wry grin. "More often two. I'd take the second box to the men's room and dump it there. It was kind of embarrassing, you know?"

"It is difficult to fit in. That's what makes a chameleon's job so hard, not just learning the part, but dealing with our physical differences and not letting them make us stand out in any way."

He sighed. "I'm never going to fit in ever again."

She stood up and held out a hand to help him to his feet. "Let's walk a while."

... ...

Caryn sat sedately on the chair in the corner of Jeff's small sitting room. He and Lewis were still discussing flowers of all things. How surreal. Lewis was quite dismayed because Jeff had told him that Keri's favorite roses had very nasty thorns. Jeff was insisting that Keri knew that and that she would handle them carefully. Keri's mate was not happy with the idea. If he had been any other man, she would have thought his distress was cute. Lewis, however, was not cute.

Finally, he was leaving. Jeff closed and locked the door behind Lewis, then turned to give her that devastating smile. "So, do you have any concern left over for my injured throat?"

She giggled and stood to meet him as he crossed the room. Hopefully he intended to kiss her…oh yes. Sighing as he pulled slightly back, she looked up into his blue-gray eyes. "Have I told you that your kiss is positively sinful?"

Laughing, Jeff kissed her again and held her tight. "No," he finally managed. "I don't think you've ever said that, sweetheart." He nuzzled her cheek as he backed her towards the bed. "Let's see what other _sinful_ things we can enjoy."

"Oh, I can think of a few."

"Just a few?"

Caryn took a step sideways as the back of her thigh touched the bed and reached for Jeff's ticklish spots, maneuvering him so that his back was to the queen-sized mattress. "A few is all we need," she informed him as she gave him a playful push backwards. He cooperatively dropped onto the bed and waited for her next move.

She stood, contemplating for a moment. His eyes widened before she could put her 'plan' into action, evidently her face or her emotions had betrayed her. "Why Caryn…I'm surprised," he murmured.

"Oh, please," she said and rolled her eyes while reaching for his zipper.

"But I am," he insisted. His grin widened as she pulled his pants open and reached inside…not that she had far to reach. His erection had practically sprung from its confinement.

"If you were going to be surprised by something like this, you'd have been wearing a belt and underwear." Her hand closed around his staff as he chuckled. She tugged, none too gently, and the chuckle turned into a strangled gasp.

"Damn, Caryn…haven't I been abused enough for one day?"

Her eyes flew to his in worry, only to see them sparkling with mischief. "Ha. You love it. Heck, you probably loved it when Lewis was strangling you."

"Well, since I could feel that he didn't intend to seriously hurt me, and figured you'd be very happy to give me some TLC…I'll have to admit that after I got past the surprise, I wasn't all that unhappy with him."

She found herself rolling her eyes again. "You are just too much, Jeff Garrett!" Settling herself on her knees between his legs she examined the hard penis in her hand. "I don't know if I should give you any of that tender loving care now," she sniffed.

"Ah, Caryn…please? Don't stop now." His voice was pleading, but his eyes were still laughing. Damn man probably knew very well that she had no intention of stopping. Humph. She let go, pushed herself to her feet and stepped back. He stayed on his back, staring up at her. His mouth twitched into a half smile, but now his eyes were pleading. A giggle almost escaped as she looked him over…there he was, lying there with his pants undone and his…oh my. He'd reached down and was stroking himself lazily, giving her a knowing look. "Come on, Caryn…have mercy. Don't leave me like this."

Deciding that becoming indignant was the only appropriate reaction, she stepped back, carefully smacked his hand away and replaced it with her own. "I never said you could play," she scolded. "_My_ toy."

His head dropped back on the mattress as she moved down to gently brush the swollen member with her lips. "Oh yeah," he groaned. "Play all you want, sweetheart." Her shudder echoed his as she slid her mouth down the side of the thick shaft. "That's it…damn." She glanced up to see him lift his head to watch her, his eyes glittering with desire. "More?" he asked. Caryn nodded and began to nibble lightly, and tease his scrotum with her fingernails.

She watched as his fists clutched the comforter. If her mouth hadn't been so busy she'd have grinned in triumph. He was all but losing it…maybe it was time to 'up the ante' so to speak. "I suppose you want more?" she asked, hardly recognizing her throaty tone.

"Hell, yes. Please Caryn…damn, sweetheart…"

Her laugh was wicked as she took his balls into her mouth…well, the half that fit, that is. She sucked gently, flicking her tongue against the portion she had captured as his tortured moan filled her ears. Sucking harder, she stroked his throbbing cock until it was almost jumping in her hand…it was time. "Still more?" His eyes were narrow slits through which only a band of silver peered. He nodded; his teeth gritted, as she released the heavy sack to pull off her underpants. Thank God Fresno was so hot…no one expected her to be wearing stockings…it made…things…so much easier. "You've got it," she grinned as turned her back to him, guided him into her wetness, and pressed down.

... ...

Keri jumped as the door slammed behind her. She hadn't intended to close it _quite _that hard. Sighing, she sat down on the window seat in the bay window to the right of the French doors that led to their small balcony. Her back was pressed against one of the walls that enclosed the recessed area and her feet against the other. Tears rolled down her cheeks and splashed on her folded arms. She groaned. "Great. Now I'm feeling sorry for myself. That's just marvelous." Somehow, this was all Lewis' fault. She groaned again. "Fine, now you're casting blame instead of doing something about it. Damn it!"

She sat for what seemed like hours; then moved to get off the window seat and nearly fell, shaking her head at her clumsiness. Six years of ballet lessons had made her movements more graceful but hadn't made her any less accident-prone. She was now simply a graceful klutz. Lewis never seemed to mind. He would catch her when she tripped, smile fondly and set her back on her feet, usually with a kiss. Yet another sigh escaped as she opened her dresser drawers and pulled out a clean nightgown. Halfway to the bathroom she stopped short. "The hell with staying away. I have to talk to someone and she _promised_ to be there for me." Tossing the garment on the bed she stomped out of the room and down the stairs.

... ...

Anja frowned. Someone else was coming to bother her. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? She angrily wiped the dampness from her face, stiffening as she recognized the aura of her surrogate sib. What was she doing here? Lewis had promised to keep her away! She opened her mouth to curse then cut herself off. Keri was upset…_very_ upset. "Ah, scheisse. Now what?"

Keri tapped on the door and opened it slowly. Anja bit her lip as dark red curls followed by large gray eyes poked into the room. "I know you don't want me here…but…" Keri's voice trailed off uncertainly.

"Come in." Anja stared at her sib as she hesitantly edged through the doorway. Keri, hesitant? Since when? "What happened?"

"Lewis was more impossible than usual. He threatened Jeff, he…oh, I just don't know what to do anymore!" Keri wailed.

Sighing, Anja moved over to the far side of the double bed and patted it. "Come on and tell me all about it."

After getting settled into their nesting, all of Keri's upset and frustrations literally spilled out of her. Anja was having a hard time keeping up. It seemed to all come down to two things, though. First, Keri was bored and feeling useless. Two, Keri felt Lewis was treating her like an object instead of a person. Great. She was just _so_ qualified to deal with either of those problems. Right. She patted Keri's shoulder and hugged her close. Well, there was one thing she could correct.

"It's not that I didn't want you here…or not just you. Didn't want anyone here. Had a lot of things to think about. Besides, I was…hmm."

"Embarrassed?"

"Ja."

"Why? It wasn't your fault."

"Then whose fault? I knew I was fertile, I should have made excuses. Tell him I still wasn't fully healed. Something."

Keri shrugged and rubbed her cheek against her shoulder. "But then we wouldn't know about the Petersons. And we wouldn't know about your problem and wouldn't be able to do something about it. What if this had happened some other time when we didn't have the people available that could help?"

"I guess. Mark is being butthead about it though."

"Yeah, well. He's a man; they're born to be buttheads."

Anja nearly choked at Keri's blunt statement, then gave it up and let the laugh out. "True, but sometimes they have uses, ja?"

"Yes, sometimes. What's Mark's problem now?"

"Don't know. He sad about this. Stupid, ja? He didn't want me because he thought I would want babies he couldn't give, now he's sad because I can't have babies. Makes no sense."

"Well, he's a man. They aren't supposed to make sense to us. Hmm. Actually, that does kind of make sense."

"How?"

"Arbiters are sterile, right? They always know they can't have kids, so the ability of others to have kids probably becomes a very precious thing to them. Suddenly someone he loves…don't give me that look, the man loves you…someone he's pictured having more children, cannot. That's sad to him. He feels something potentially joyful has been stolen from you and that you must be feeling the loss. So he feels sad because you are now in the position he's been in all his life, which is something he wouldn't wish on anyone."

"But I'm pleased about it!"

"No, you're not."

"Am too!"

"Are not…No, don't argue with me, let me finish." Anja bit her lip to hide a smile and waited for Keri to continue. Her sib was definitely feeling more herself. "You are not pleased because you aren't in control of it. If it had been your choice you'd be thrilled. But it's not, it's being forced on you and you're pissed."

She was right, damn it. "But I still like end result."

"Yeah, but your _feel_ is upset. You think Mark can tell the difference between you being pissed and upset that it wasn't your choice and you being pissed and upset because you can't have children?"

"Hmm. He not as good as you, huh?"

"Nope. Lewis says maybe no one is. Don't know if I believe _that_."

"Wow. But he would know. He's pretty much best we have."

"Well, he thinks maybe his grandmother was better when she was my age. But she's pretty old now. His father was in her youngest group of children and Lewis was in his father's youngest."

"You still upset with him?"

"Lewis?"

"No, his father. Of course, Lewis," Anja said with disgust.

Keri chuckled. "Right. Sorry." She sighed. "I just don't understand him. And I really hate being a possession. I'm not a thing, damn it!"

"I don't know…I don't think that it."

"Huh?" Her sib stared at her. "He said so."

Anja shook her head. "Different kind of owning, possessing. You can own responsibility, ja?"

"What?"

"Look, if you take on a responsibility, you own it. Like a…hmm, like Native Americans feel about the land."

"A sacred trust?"

"Ja, that's it. They don't own land, they feel no one can own land, but they own responsibility to care for it so in that sense the land is theirs."

Keri stared at her, her mouth hanging open. "That's gotta be it," she finally managed. "When you bond, there's this ritual the person initiating the bond does. Promising to provide for their mate, protect them, and to cherish them. Damn, that makes sense." Anja grinned as Keri hugged her tight. "Thanks, sis. What would I do without you?"

Anja snorted. "Be miserable, of course."

"Of course."

... ...

Sloan opened one eye and blearily stared at Tom as he stalked from the door to the window to stare out into the dusk. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. There's been doors slamming, anger, fear…I'd better go check."

"They'd come get you if there was a real problem," she told him.

He turned and stared at her, frowning in thought. "Yes. You're right. They wouldn't endanger us by not alerting me to any threat."

"Of course I'm right. Come back to bed?"

His grin was fierce and tender at the same time, her heart contracted. "Oh yes."

Sloan smiled as he slid back under the covers and took her in his arms. "I love you," she whispered in his ear as he nibbled on her throat.

"I know." He looked up as she swatted him playfully and giggled. "What? You don't want me to be confident in your love for me?"

"You're supposed to say that you love me, too."

He frowned in confusion and she smiled at the sight…he was just so cute when he frowned like that. "But you know that I love you?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I don't want to hear it. Remember, I can't feel it as easily as you can."

His expression immediately became contrite. "I'm sorry, Sloan. I can feel so much…all of you and you feel so close that I forget."

"It's okay. I can feel a little, just try and remember to tell me sometimes, okay?"

"So when you tell me you love me, it's a hint?"

She thought about that. "Well, sometimes. But sometimes it's just that I feel it so strongly that the words just spill out. I can't _not_ say them."

"I see," he said, though from his expression she could tell that he couldn't.

"Never mind. Just make love with me."

"Again?" He chuckled and stroked her hair. "And I thought I was the one with the imperative."

"Maybe so…but I've been waiting for this for months…we've got a lot of wasted time to make up for."

"No, Sloan. Not wasted." His voice was abruptly serious. "We needed that time. Time for me to adjust to the reality of having feelings, to learn to care about something other than survival. If we'd jumped into this when we first knew we wanted it there would be no bond."

"I know." She traced his jaw with a finger. "I was teasing…can't feel that, huh?"

He chuckled. "That's something you're good at hiding…when you want to." She felt him smile against her skin as he nuzzled down the length of her neck and then continued down between her breasts. Sloan gasped as his lips left a trail of fire between her neck and her abdomen and let herself drift, knowing that Tom would soon reach for her through their bond.

... ...

Lewis frowned as he walked down the hall. His mate was not in their suite. He paused and turned to look at the guard who stood impassively in the stairwell. "When did she leave?" he asked.

The younger man glanced at him and came to attention. "About an hour after she came back up, sir."

"I see. Did she happen to mention her destination?"

"No sir. She was barefoot so I assumed she was intending to remain in the building."

He sighed and headed back to the stairs. "Never make assumptions when it comes to my mate. She is…highly unpredictable. Understood?"

"Yes sir," the soldier told him, his voice betraying some nervousness.

"Relax. I am not holding you accountable…_this_ time. In the future, however…"

"I will inquire as to her destination?" Lewis' eyebrow shot up at the question. "Ah, I will see that someone accompanies her," the guard corrected himself.

"Very good." He pretended he did not hear the deep sigh of relief as he descended the stairs. He stopped in the foyer to get his bearings. Closing his eyes he let his focus drift through the bond. Nothing. "Damn it. How does she do that?"

"Do what?" Mark asked from the doorway to the dining room.

"Have you seen Keridwen? She came back down and she's blocked me from tracking her."

"Ah. She can block you, even with the bond? Impressive."

"Yes, she is." He waited for an answer that was not, evidently, forthcoming. "Well?"

"Hmm? Oh, no I have not. But I did hear the back door slam about fifteen minutes ago while we were still eating."

"Thank you." Lewis knew his tone was barely civil, but he was beginning to worry. He kept himself to a walk only by force of will. What if she had left? No, the guard said that she was barefoot. Keridwen's feet were not callused enough for her to be walking very far…but what if she took one of the vehicles? He stopped and turned back to Mark. Evidently his agitation was plain to read.

"No. No engines."

He nodded his gratitude and hurried outside. It was already dark, and this late in September there were just enough clouds in the Fresno sky to obscure the stars. Waiting for his vision to fully adjust he _searched_ for her again. Still nothing, but…Anja was unsettled. A small smile curved his mouth and he trotted towards the barracks building and the medical unit. He stopped beneath Anja's closed window and stretched his senses. Yes. Keridwen's voice was barely audible, but she was indeed there. As was proper, she had gone to her sib for comfort. All was well. Lewis allowed himself to relax as he returned to their suite and settled himself on the chaise with a book to wait.

... ...

Ed saw Alexa's lips twitch as they watched Lewis stop just outside the main house, then set off at a trot for the barracks building. "He chasing after Keri?"

"No doubt. She was quite upset."

"Yeah, well, she can join the club." His statement pulled a full smile out of her, just as he'd hoped.

"You're still unsettled?" Alexa asked.

"Still? Give me a break, okay…damn. For thirty-two years I never had any reason to question my species, and after a measly two hours you expect me to be settled about it?"

She chuckled soundlessly and reached out to touch his cheek. He found his eyes captured by her blue gaze. "You're right. Actually, you're doing very well. I'm impressed."

"Thank you," he answered, wincing as he heard the stiffness in his tone. "I mean, thanks, really."

Her thumb stroked his cheek. This was really strange. She'd never touched him before, well, other than casually. Most of them didn't do much touching. Well, Lewis touched Keri all the time, and Tom touched Sloan. But that was different. "What is it?" she asked.

"Ah…I've got to ask. Is this why you started talking to me? Because I'm one of the partially adapted?" He shook his head. "There's got to be a better way of describing people like me, damn."

She was staring at him now, and she looked annoyed. Very annoyed. He swallowed nervously, in this mood she definitely resembled her father and that couldn't be a good thing. "I didn't even _begin_ to suspect you might be anything more than sapiens until after I sat down and thought about our first run. And you know that…" she broke off with what sounded suspiciously like a snarl. Her hand shot behind his head and she captured his mouth in an incredibly hot kiss.

Ed gasped when she finally released him. She still looked angry…but now her gaze was…challenging. "Wow. Um…hmm." He found himself grinning. "That was…wow. Man, not even the Cappelli twins…ah…never mind."

"Twins?" she asked, one eyebrow shooting up as her mouth twisted in a smirk.

"Uh, yeah. Long time ago, I swear."

Alexa laughed. "Ed, I have no concerns over your previous encounters." She shrugged. "I'm not even sure if I'm concerned over any in the future."

"Oh," he said, suddenly feeling depressed.

"Don't." She was touching his cheek again. It felt good somehow. "I don't know what the future holds, our lives are very uncertain. Since I've done my duty to my line, I had no intentions of becoming involved with anyone, not for a long time to come."

"And then there was me?"

"And then there was you, a sapiens, or so I believed. Yet one of the few truly open-minded men I'd ever met. Intelligent, athletic, thoughtful, and attractive…very attractive. I have no idea where this is going, where it _can_ go under the circumstances."

"Because I'm…"

"No, because we may very well find ourselves in the midst of a war and I will be one of those leading the army."

"Damn." He sighed and tentatively reached out to touch the soft wave of hair that had slid forward to brush her temple. Alexa smiled and raised her face so that his hand cupped her cheek…there _must_ be something significant about that cheek touching. Moving closer, he drew her into his arms and sighed again as hers encircled his waist and she pressed tightly against his chest. She was looking at him very expectantly.

The kiss he gave Alexa was as different from the one she had given him as night was from day. Ed nibbled her lower lip, and then caressed it with his tongue. Her lips parted with a soft moan and he deepened the kiss, softly, gently, and tenderly. He could feel her heart rate increase and her breathing grow shallow…then she pulled away. "Ed, stop. We can't do this."

"Why not?"

"Well," she began, smirking at him again. "For one thing we're in full view of two wings of the main house's top floor, and I'd rather not have an audience."

"Oh." He glanced over at the main house. From their perch on top of the garage building that also held the temporary lab he could see that lights were on in a number of the suites…including Lewis' master suite. "That would not be cool."

She followed his gaze. "You're mostly concerned about what my sire would think. Why?"

"Um, the fact that he could probably dismember me without breaking a sweat might have something to do with it."

Alexa shook her head. "Get over it, Tate. It's not like that. Lewis wouldn't presume to interfere with my choice of male any more than I would criticize his choice of female. Besides, he's rather relieved."

"Okay, I know I'm going to regret asking this, but why?"

"Because you _are _one of the partially adapted." He stared at her, more confused than before. "He thought I was interested in you as a sapiens, and while he didn't approve, neither did he interfere. The fact that you aren't truly sapiens makes my choice far more palatable to him." She chuckled. "He still hasn't gotten over Dr. Parker and Tom."

Neither have I, Ed thought glumly. Or have I? He looked at Alexa who was frowning at him, probably trying to interpret his sudden change of mood. God, she was beautiful. And there she went reaching for his cheek again. "What does that mean?" he asked.

"This?" she said, completing the caress. "Hmm, it's just a…ah, I don't know how to equate it to something you'd understand." She turned around and leaned back against him, he found his hands automatically twining around her waist and pulling her closer. "An acknowledgement of…intimacy. Not necessarily physical intimacy, though that's certainly one kind it covers. You touch family, a mate…or one you intend to mate with, this way. Also perhaps a life-long friend."

"So, you do intend to ah, mate with me?" He winced when she laughed.

"If not, then I've just wasted the past several hours of my life."

He felt an absurdly pleased feeling creep over him. "Oh." Sighing, he rested his chin on her shoulder and breathed in the scent of her silky hair. "Good."

... ...

Jeffrey groaned as his erection was enveloped by Caryn's wet heat. She was so wild tonight, he'd never have guessed she'd unleash her sensuality so completely this early in their relationship. But he certainly was not going to complain. He reached around for her breasts, chuckling as she slapped his hands away.

"No. You're _mah_ toy, remember? Did ah give you permission to play?"

Damn, he loved it when her accent slipped out. "No, sweetheart."

"Ah didn't think so." Her ass tensed and then relaxed as she pulled slowly up and then pushed herself down on him again. He fought the urge to squeeze the firm round cheeks…no matter how much he would enjoy it; it would only earn him another rebuke.

At this rate, he wasn't going to last very long. Ah well, he'd just have to make it up to her. She was moving faster now, managing a smooth rhythm that threatened to milk his seed from him with every outward glide. He groaned again as she reached down between her legs and her hand closed around his balls. "Damn, Caryn. Are you trying to make me lose control?" he asked as she began to squeeze in time to her downward thrusts.

She threw a slit-eyed glance over her shoulder. "Isn't that the whole idea, hon?" she purred.

He laughed; choking it off as she suddenly tightened her grasp and began riding him wildly. Her breath was coming almost in sobs and he could no longer resist the urge to thrust up to meet her downward movements. Closing his hands on her hips, he urged her on as she started to rock back and forth, keening tunelessly as her canal began to tighten around him. It was time to move. He grabbed her around the waist and twisted them around until she was on her knees. Standing behind her he thrust ever more urgently into her hot center. "Caryn…oh baby, so damn good," he gasped as he felt her orgasm fully blossom. Her powerful inner muscles squeezed his cock almost painfully and he, in turn, pounded against her sensitive flesh. Her harsh cry of release echoed his as his seed filled her.

His wild lover was limp in his grasp and he gently turned her and laid her down on the bed, smoothing her hair back from her damp face. Caryn's blue-green eyes were barely open, but her sated expression filled him with pride and something quite unfamiliar. "What's wrong, hon?" she asked, her voice tired but concerned.

Jeffrey smiled, settled down beside her and gently stroked her still trembling body. "Nothing is wrong, sweetheart. It's so right that I just don't know what to do about it."

She chuckled and turned to snuggle up tightly against him. "You're doin' just fine, hon…just fine."

... ...

Keri padded up the stairs as quietly as she could manage. Most of the residents had to be asleep by this time. At least she didn't have shoes to worry about. The guard stared at her when she reached the top floor. He looked…and felt almost relieved for some reason. Uh oh. "Did you get in trouble with Lewis because of me?" she whispered.

"No, ma'am," his answer was on the edge of truthfulness, she could tell.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry." The man's eyes widened. Not bothering to explain, Keri headed down the hall to their rooms. Her experience with Lewis had taught her not to try and be especially quiet when he was asleep. He always heard her, no matter how careful she was, and if she was quiet enough that he didn't realize it was her he would react as though an intruder were present. That was a bad thing.

He was sleeping on the chaise, had probably waited up for her for hours before drifting off over his book. Keri leaned sideways to check out the title, The Odyssey, by Homer. Huh, she hadn't read that since high school. She walked around the other side and peered over his shoulder to see how far along he was. The print swam before her eyes, she squinted, but it refused to come into focus. What the hell? Leaning perilously close she looked more carefully. He was reading the damn thing in Greek!

Biting her lip she walked quickly into the bedroom, grabbed her nightgown from the bed, and carried it into the bathroom. She waited until water from the shower was cascading over her head to let the tears come. How many languages did he know? She'd personally seen him reading or writing in German, French, Russian, and now Greek…besides English, of course. She'd heard him speaking Spanish and Japanese. Suddenly her own smattering of Spanish, barely tolerable conversational French, and catch phrases in Japanese and Hawaiian seemed woefully inadequate. She wasn't even anywhere near literate in any of them. Who was she kidding? It wasn't just her language skills that were inadequate.

She turned the faucet off and twisted her long hair to wring as much water as possible from it. The towel she pulled off the top bar would finish the job. It was made of some special material that seemed to soak up water faster than ordinary towels…it was perfect for her hair. Wrapping herself in a bath sheet she sat down at the vanity to apply her moisturizer, but ended up staring at her reflection instead. It was a good thing Lewis was asleep. Her eyes were already puffy from crying and the last thing she needed was his caustic comments about her self-esteem.

Sighing, she wiped her face dry and rubbed in the skin cream. He was right though. Self-esteem was yet another thing she didn't have. She left the moisturizer on the counter, walked back to the bedroom, tossed her dirty laundry at the hamper, and crawled into bed. "He chose me the way I _am_," she whispered to herself. "I _am_ special, that's why he bonded with me." Even she could hear the doubt in her voice. With another deep sigh she buried her head under the pillow and repeated the phrases in her head like a mantra until sleep finally claimed her.

... ...

Lewis waited until he felt his mate's mind relax into sleep before he moved. Remaining still while she was fighting yet another battle with her self-esteem had been more difficult than he would ever have imagined. Logically, he knew this was a battle she had to win on her own. Nothing he could tell her when she got into one of these moods would be believed; but he hated watching her suffer.

He set his book down and glided over to the bed. She had finally emerged from under the pillow…her damp hair was going to be tangled in the morning from the abuse. Carefully, he stroked it back from her face and arranged it across her shoulders. Keridwen's expression was troubled and her muscles tense. He leaned down to press a soft kiss on her forehead then stiffened for a moment as she sighed. It was all right; he hadn't awakened her. She relaxed and slipped into a deeper sleep. Perhaps tomorrow he could somehow manage to explain to her just how extraordinary she was without allowing her to know that he had witnessed her doubts? Yes, he could find a way.

Leaving her to sleep peacefully, he removed his own clothing and placed it in the hamper. Keridwen's daytime outfit lay strewn, as usual, on the floor nearby. He shook his head, picked the items up, and put them where they belonged. The bathroom, when he reached it, proved to be in similar disarray. How she managed to keep her home organized when living on her own was a question he didn't want to examine too closely. She had obviously become accustomed to having servants to pick up after her. A reluctant grin emerged as he turned on the shower. It hardly mattered. He wasn't marrying her for her housekeeping skills.

His closely cropped hair was dry by the time he'd finished straightening up the bathroom. He looked at his mate, curled so enticingly in the large bed and stifled a groan. It was the floor for him tonight. He couldn't risk her waking up before he'd had the opportunity to pick up her present. She deserved a proper apology, one that she would never expect from him. Jeffrey had damned well better be right about the roses.


	14. Chapter 14

Lewis buried his impatience as the teenager at the rose shop who readied his order insisted on holding a conversation while she was doing so. He wouldn't have cared, except that she expected him to participate in it. "So, is it a special occasion?"

He gritted his teeth. A refusal to 'chat' would bring unwanted notice. "In a manner of speaking, yes."

"Uh oh, somebody's in trouble!" she said in a singsong voice.

How did she know this? Damned women's intuition, no doubt. "Yes. An argument…I lost. My lady is now rather…annoyed with me."

The clerk chuckled. "Well, these will get her in a better mood, no problem. You've got good taste, the Crimson Glory is my favorite, they're so pretty and they smell fabulous. They're also absolutely fresh, we grow them right over in Fremont, you know. But, hey, if she doesn't take you back, drop in anytime. I work here almost every afternoon and during the day on weekends."

His jaw almost dropped as she gave him a rather saucy wink. The girl was flirting with him. He had grandchildren nearly her age! "Uh, thank you, but I'm sure my fiancée will be forgiving."

She looked him up and down and sighed. "Yeah, I guess she will at that."

He paid for the flowers and accepted the package with a nod. The girl's voice floated on the air as he strode away.

"Watch out for the thorns!"

Watch out for the thorns, indeed. By the time he reached the complex, he'd managed to prick himself with the damned things at least five times. This wouldn't do at all. He glowered at the guard as he passed him in the third floor stairwell. Quietly opening the door to his suite, he 'reached' out for Keridwen and sighed with relief when he found she was still soundly asleep. Hopefully he'd have time to correct this problem before she awakened.

... ...

"Mmm." Keri smiled as she inhaled the scent of roses. She'd never had the sense of smell in a dream before, well, not that she could remember. Hmm. She sniffed more deeply…maybe it wasn't a dream at that. Opening her eyes she blinked. Directly in front of her nose was a spray of three perfect dark red roses. Her eyes widened in surprise and she examined them more carefully. Not just roses, but deep dark red ones with a delightful fragrance. How had Lewis known that Crimson Glory roses were her favorite? Maybe it was a lucky guess. Then again, Lewis never left anything to chance. Jeff must have spilled the beans. Inhaling that wonderful scent again, she decided to forgive him for discussing her likes and dislikes with her mate.

She carefully reached out, picked up the roses and buried her nose in their perfect blooms. Roses were an almost total sensual experience. The intense colors were a feast for the eyes; the scent was music for the nose, and the feel of the petals, soft and silky against the skin was such an incredible contrast to the danger of the…huh? What happened to the thorns?

Peering past the three perfect rosebuds, Keri saw an astounding sight. Lewis, on his knees by the far side of the bed patiently removing thorns from the stems of what had to be at least three dozen of her favorite roses. A giggle escaped before she could suppress it. He glanced up at her. "Good morning, cherished."

"Good morning. What _are_ you doing?" She tried to remember she was still upset with him, but it was a losing battle. The sight of him bent over the roses was just too, too…oh boy.

"Removing thorns. I don't want you injuring yourself unnecessarily."

"Oh, Lewis." She bit her lip to hold back the laugh. "That's sweet, but I know how to handle roses without hurting myself, honest."

He sighed and set the last of the now thorn-free roses on his pillow. "Keridwen, there is so much in this world that I will not be able to protect you from. Please allow me to control that which I can."

Oh dear. What an admission. She crawled across the bed and sat in front of him, ignoring the roses. Draping her arms over his shoulders she touched the tip of her nose to his and looked straight into his eyes. She smiled as he blinked twice, knowing that he was adjusting his focus to near vision. Unlike her, he _would_ be able to focus on both of her eyes at once with full clarity. "You still worry about me, huh?"

"All the time."

"Because of what happened to…?"

"Because I love you and I vowed to protect you…and you _are_ mine."

Keri sighed. "I still don't really like the way you put that…but Anja said it's not a matter of a physical possession, but more like a responsibility, like a sacred trust?"

Lewis pulled back, his aura radiating surprise. "I…hmm. Anja is quite wise for one so young. Yes. That is exactly what it is." He sighed and removed her arms from his neck, taking her hands in his and kissing her fingertips. "You accepted my claim on you, when I said _mine_, you agreed by saying _yours_. By doing so, according to our laws you gave yourself over to me. I am responsible for you, for good or ill, for your person, your happiness, and for your actions."

"Hmm, I could get you in big trouble, huh?"

"Yes. That's my sacrifice. You trust me enough to give yourself to me, and I trust you enough to believe that you will not endanger or dishonor us by what you do or say."

"But do you really believe that?"

He turned her hands over and kissed her wrists, resting his lips for several long moments against the pulse in each. "I know that you will never dishonor us. You are too honorable and exceptional a female to do otherwise."

"But?"

"But I know that you're reckless. And you have no fear…or rather; even when you do fear you are willing to step beyond it to do what you think is right. You could very easily endanger us…so yes, I worry."

She sighed and moved into his embrace. "I guess you're right to worry, I'm too damn old to change." His lips brushed her temple and his arms tightened around her. "But I'll try to be careful. And if I'm going to do something I even _think _may be dangerous, I'll let you know first, okay?"

His chuckle vibrated against her throat as he kissed her mating scar. "I'm sure that will make _all _the difference, my own."

Keridwen melted into him, as she always did when he stimulated her memories of their first mating. "So I'm exceptional, huh?" she said in a teasing tone.

"Mmm, yes, quite exceptional," Lewis murmured as he moved from her neck to nibble on the lobe of one elegant ear.

"Right, sure…for a sapiens."

He frowned. Her words were tinged with bitterness. "I don't recall putting a qualifier on that remark."

"Huh?"

Lewis sighed, raised his head and replaced her arms around his neck. "Keridwen, you are a healer, do you know how rare that gift is?"

"Well, yes…"

"Not among sapiens, I'm speaking of homo sapiens dominant. Only one in ten-thousand of us have any healing gift at all."

"Oh," her voice was small as she thought about it.

"And only one in fifty-thousand can heal as well as you can."

"What? Really?"

He smiled. "Yes, really. And that's not all."

... ...

"Oh Lewis…" she began, shaking her head. He raised an eyebrow, his mouth twitching as he felt her certainty that she was going to need hip boots soon.

Keridwen seemed to be reassured as she took in his sardonic expression. "You also impressed the hell out of Mark last night. And me," he told her.

"What, by getting pissed off with you?"

"No, you blocked me from finding you, even through our bond."

"Oh, you do that all the time."

"No, cherished. I block you from reading me. You still know exactly where I am."

"Well, duh. You're usually right in front of me."

He frowned at her. "Remember when I…took care of things at the motel? I was blocking you then, you didn't have to experience what I was doing…did you not know exactly where I was the entire time?"

She looked down, thinking about it. "Um, yeah. I even knew when you were returning, long before I heard you."

"I could not find you last night. I had to track you down the old fashioned way, by questioning witnesses."

"Oh. So that's rare too?"

"That's all but unheard of. There are rumors that Mercedes could do this; that she could hide herself from the senses of even our best trackers…but I've never experienced it with her and she has never confirmed or denied it."

"This is the legendary grandmother, right?"

"Yes."

"Oh." Keridwen laid her head on his shoulder; he could feel her fighting a headache.

"You are an exceptional female and I am proud to be your mate. Any male would be." He glanced down at the woman in his arms, a small smile hovering on his lips as he watched her snuggle closer. Allowing his complacency in his possession of her to emerge he told her, "Once my people know of you and your gifts, I am going to be the object of much envy."

As he expected, she relaxed and began to giggle. "Oh, Lewis. You really are incorrigible."

... ...

Karl met the healer's car personally. "Good morning, Dr. Richard. I am Karl Hunter, the Security First. Did your escort stop for you to have a morning meal, or would you like to visit the dining room before you attend your patient?"

"Please, address me as Carla," the forty-something female said as she exited the vehicle. "And yes, I have eaten, but I would prefer to meet with the Section Leader and Lewis prior to examining Anja's…injury."

"Ah. Neither Mark nor Lewis is available yet this morning. Shall I have a room assigned for you to relax in until they are?"

Carla frowned thoughtfully. "Where is Ed Tate?"

That was a good question. Neither the sapiens doctor nor Alexa had put in an appearance yet. Highly unusual, they were always on the track before seven and it was now a quarter past eight.

She evidently sensed his hesitation. "Okay, how about Jeffrey?"

Karl sighed. "He also…"

"What's going on here?" She held up a hand as he opened his mouth to respond. "Never mind, I'm sure I don't want to know."

"Hey, Carla, glad you could make it!" Tate's voice hailed them. Karl hastily triangulated the source of the sound, finally looking up. He stared at the head and shoulders of the sapiens physician who was peering over the edge of the garage roof. "I'll be down in a sec," the man called out.

They waited; both confused, until he came out of the building. "Good morning," he said self-consciously.

"Good morning, Ed." Carla looked him up and down, no doubt noticing the wrinkled clothing and bits of vegetation that Karl was cataloging. "What were you doing on the roof?"

"Ah. Well." The man was blushing. Interesting. "I, ah, had a lot to think about after last night, and it was nice and private."

"What happened last night?"

"I, uh, found out."

"Found out what?" Carla's voice very clearly conveyed her impatience.

"Under rather unfortunate circumstances, Dr. Tate was informed that he is one of the partially adapted," Karl inserted blandly. He suppressed a smile at Tate's look of gratitude.

"Oh. I take it you have the physical adaptations?" she asked the sapiens doctor. "I've never sensed a particularly strong empathic gift in you."

"You mean you didn't know? Geez, the way I found out it looked like everyone knew but me."

"I didn't know," Karl interjected. "I don't believe Lewis knew, either."

"Just everyone else, huh? Ah, doesn't matter. Anyway, can we talk about Anja?" Ed asked.

"Of course," Carla returned. "Why don't we go up to the lab?"

"NO!" Ed blurted. "Uh, I mean, the library would be much more comfortable."

Karl stared at the suddenly nervous sapiens. What was he hiding in the lab? He frowned, his suspicions aroused. Or was it who? "The library is a much better choice," he told Carla. "I'm sure Dr. Tate would like to stop in the kitchen and get some coffee before you talk."

"Yes, absolutely. Didn't get much sleep, all that thinking, you know. I really need a cup of coffee."

Carla stared at the two of them then shrugged her shoulders. "Very well. Karl, can you have someone ask Lewis and Mark to join us there once they arise?"

"Certainly." He watched as Tate and Carla strolled in the direction of the main house. Once they were out of sight he headed for the garage at a swift trot.

... ...

Alexa concentrated until she felt Ed's aura receding. Then she moved to the window and peeked out in time to see him ushering Carla into the main house. Karl was nowhere in sight, he'd no doubt returned to his duties. She let her breath hiss out and moved to the stairwell. The mechanics hadn't reported to the garage yet, so she hurried down them and through the parked vehicles. An unexpected sound and a flash of movement seen out of the corner of her eye triggered her attack response and she spun…pulling her blow just in time as she recognized Karl.

"Ooof," he grunted, doubling over. Slowly, he straightened and breathed in and out carefully, testing for injuries. "Losing your touch?" he gasped.

"No, refined it. I recognized you in time…you're quite fortunate."

He nodded his agreement and leaned back against the Mercedes sedan, one arm still clutching his diaphragm. "Glad you've been working on it," he managed in a more or less normal tone.

She snorted. "What are you doing here?"

"I might ask you the same thing," he shot back.

"I…was checking to see if Dr. Tate was in the lab. He missed our run."

"Hmm, how did you miss him? You were already inside when he came down from the roof." He smirked briefly. "And you haven't changed clothes from last night yet, either."

Alexa found herself furiously fighting a blush. "I…"

It was Karl's turn to snort. "Interesting way to not be having a relationship with Dr. Tate."

She snapped and backhanded him. He didn't so much as flinch. "Damn it, I was not having a relationship at the time you asked." He still stood silently, a mahogany statue. Alexa sighed. "I apologize for giving in to my temper."

"Apology accepted," he said. She eyed him warily as he fully straightened. "Now that you know that he's partially adapted, I suppose it's acceptable for you to indulge in a relationship with him."

Alexa caught herself before backhanding him again. "That has nothing to do with it!" she hissed. "I simply had not come to terms with my attraction to him."

"You came to terms with it rather quickly once…" he broke off as she snarled and reached for him.

"I have known what he was since our first run," she growled as he quickly sidestepped and danced out of her reach. "Even knowing, I was unwilling to accept that I was attracted to anyone. It has nothing to do with his species; it is…what I am."

"A chameleon."

"Yesssss. Feelings are a liability for us. They make us weak."

Karl's eyebrows rose, breaking the normal blandness of his expression. "You think Lewis is weak? Or Tom?"

"No, of course not. That's different."

"Because of the bonds?" She nodded. "Tom was not weak before he bonded with Sloan," he told her.

"No, but their bond was inevitable…" she trailed off as he snorted derisively. "It doesn't matter. I have already decided to…further the relationship, and we…that is Dr. Tate and I, have…come to an agreement." She glared at him, feeling…petulant and grew annoyed with him for causing such a juvenile reaction. "It is none of your business," she concluded, and stalked off, leaving him standing and staring after her in surprise.

... ...

Ed stood up as Mark entered the library, leaving Carla to stare at him, her sentence unfinished. A clearly annoyed Lewis followed the West Coast section leader into the room. "Carla's got a great idea on what to do about Anja," Ed told them…his voice trailing off at Lewis' sharp glance. "Well, I think it's a great idea, anyway," he mumbled as he dropped back down on the divan.

Lewis settled himself in the wing-backed chair closest to Ed and stared at him, his expression pensive. Ed shifted in his seat, trying desperately to not show the nervousness that was plain for them to read. "I certainly hope it's worth leaving my mate alone in our bed," Lewis finally said, his voice betraying his irritation.

Carla chuckled at Ed's blush; she'd never have imagined Ed was that sensitive. "I'm the one who insisted you be here, Lewis. Don't blame it on Ed." She looked up at Mark, who was still standing. "You as well, and please sit down, I don't want to get a crick in my neck."

Taking a seat, Mark nodded. "What can you do for Anja?" he asked.

"Well, as I see it, we have several problems to address. One, Anja is burdened with a pregnancy she does not want and which will disrupt her work because she was unable to refuse someone and maintain her cover. Two, even if Anja wanted the pregnancy, she would be unable to deliver these or any future offspring safely because of her…condition." She paused as the three men nodded. "The obvious solution, sterilizing her, would affect her work because she would be considered lower in status by others in the faction and by those outside of it whose trust she needs to maintain. That becomes our third problem."

"Yes, we know that," Lewis said dryly. "And you propose to deal with these problems how?"

"Ed tells me that with the absence of the pre-birth canal, Anja has a birth canal similar in size and composition to that of a sapiens female. What if we were to remove three of her uteri, and connect the remaining one directly to this canal?"

"What about this pregnancy?" Mark asked.

"The fetuses would not survive the surgery, so we'll do a dilation and cutterage on the remaining uterus."

"If we do this, she'd still be fertile…and able to deliver at least one child safely since there wouldn't be babies from several uteri competing for space in the canal at the same time," Ed explained when Mark and Lewis failed to respond.

Carla frowned at the conflicting emotions she picked up from Mark before he noticed her look and hastily shielded. Lewis was nodding thoughtfully. "That is an interesting solution," he offered. "It does leave her handicapped, but not to a degree that any of our kind would be able to detect without some type of scan being done."

Ed snorted. "Handicapped, my ass. Women all over the world make do with one uterus all the time. _And_ they have multiple births fairly frequently."

"One problem, Doctor. She'll be producing four ova each cycle. Is the dominant female's uterus capable of handling quadruplets?" Lewis asked. Mark looked up in alarm at the statement.

"That's not a problem," Carla hastened to reassure them. "Unlike sapiens females, the dominant female has two sections to each ovary; one section feeds to each uterus. I'd planned for us to remove the ovary section and fallopian tube associated with each uterus that we remove."

"You know," Ed began with a thoughtful look. "If we only excise one section of each ovary and join the two remaining fallopian tubes to the remaining uterus, she'll look sapiens to anyone who does a scan on her." He shrugged as they all stared at him. "Well, considering the faction does a lot of undercover work…ah, no pun intended, that could come in handy…for instance, if she really has an accident on that damn bike of hers and ends up being taken to a regular hospital they won't be automatically doing a DNA test, so they'll think she's sapiens and she won't have to worry about the radicals in the US government coming for her. And Carla, didn't you tell me that occasionally a dominant female will have more than four babies at a time?"

"Yes, though twinning is much rarer than in sapiens because the fertilized ova do not tend to split as easily, but it's not unheard of. Her uterus will be able to handle two offspring without a problem."

Lewis' face relaxed into something that suspiciously resembled a smile. "An excellent notion. Now you have to sell the idea to Anja…I believe she was looking forward to being unable to have any more offspring."

Carla exchanged glances with Ed who was keeping his mouth firmly shut. She suppressed a sigh. "Actually, we were hoping _you_ would present the idea to her. Since she is Keri's surrogate sib you are, after all, the head of her family unit."

... ...

Carla was right, Lewis mused. But that would not make his conversation with Anja any easier. Neither of the physicians had volunteered to accompany him, so he had been forced to choose one and order them to do so. He smirked as he remembered Ed's reaction when he had been chosen. At least he was getting some entertainment out of this. Deciding to wait until after their talk with Anja to bait Tate about his nervousness, Lewis quickened his pace so that the sapiens wouldn't see his expression…one that Keridwen had once described to him as 'unholy glee'.

"I still think it would have been better for Carla to do this," Ed muttered. "You know, woman to woman and all."

Lewis glanced back over his shoulder. Despite his longer legs, Tate was practically trotting to keep up. "Carla is having enough difficulty with this. The fact that she is willing to assist at all with surgical intervention for a defective shows how open-minded she is. Most of our people would have insisted that Anja simply be terminated. I could feel Carla's struggle with her instincts and I do not wish Anja to pick it up."

"Oh. Good point. I wouldn't have known Carla was having a problem, she seemed so enthusiastic about it." Ed almost walked into Lewis as he stopped abruptly.

Turning back, Lewis frowned up at the taller man. "Yes, she was; perhaps too enthusiastic." He folded his arms across his chest and considered the possibilities that suggested. Finally coming to a conclusion he turned and resumed walking towards the barracks. "Keep an eye on her during the surgery, Tate. I don't like this."

"You think she was faking being helpful to get in a position to hurt Anja? Aw, come on. After all Carla did for you and Keri?"

"Carla was protecting a bonded pair when she helped us before. That is something that is required of her under our law. What is required of her upon discovery of someone with a congenital defect is the termination of the defective." He turned and grasped Ed's shoulder. "Anja is very important to my mate. I'll be counting on you to make sure she gets through this."

"I'll do my best…but maybe you should be there, you would sense it if Carla is about to try something, right?"

"Better yet, I'll involve Keridwen. She's much better at picking up subtle nuances. And she can have a word with Carla beforehand to see if we truly may have a problem." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "If she does find a problem, do you think that you could handle this surgery without Carla? Assuming we get David back to assist you, of course."

"Oh, man." Ed ran his fingers through his untidy mop of hair. "Damn, Lewis, I really don't know. We're talking sectioned ovaries, for God's sake. That's way beyond my experience, or David's. Hell, I haven't really done _any _surgery since my residency."

Lewis nodded. "I understand. Then should Keridwen confirm that we have a problem, we will coerce Carla's cooperation." He smiled grimly in anticipation. That could actually prove interesting.

... ...

Caryn stretched as best she could, considering her efforts were hampered by Jeff's firm embrace. She smiled and looked up at him. He was still asleep and his dark lashes fanned out over the high cheekbones. It was criminal, lashes like that on a man…and they were black, too,even with his dark blonde hair. Her own lashes were a red-blonde and barely visible without mascara. She was pondering the unfairness of it all when she realized that he was staring back at her, the blue of his irises tempered with gray. "Well, good mornin' sleepyhead," she told him with a smile.

Jeff's eyebrows rose. "Sleepyhead? Humph." He bent his head to capture her lower lip in a soft kiss. "I'd only been asleep for two hours," he murmured against her mouth. "Of course you woke up first."

"Two hours?" She pulled back in surprise. Certainly they'd stayed up late. Her 'toy' had been very pleased to enjoy their 'play'. But they'd finally settled down at about 2 a.m., a good six hours ago.

"Yes." He smiled at her confusion. "I stayed awake," he said, stroking her cheek. "Just to look at you."

Oooookay. Jeff was pushing it. That was a hell of a line, though. She shook her head. "Jeff…"

"That's not a line," he insisted as though he had read her thoughts. Maybe he had…or at least her face. "You're always surprising me, Caryn. Every time I think I have you figured out, you do something I don't expect. Your…aggressive sensuality last night was more than I was expecting from you so soon…not that I'm complaining!"

"Well, that's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Oh yeah; so good that I lay awake for hours wondering what I'd done to deserve you."

"Did you find an answer?"

"No," he answered, his expression quite serious.

"Did it occur to you that maybe I'm the one who did something great and you're _my_ reward?"

He chuckled and hugged her close. "See? You just did it again…surprised the hell out of me." Jeff turned over on his back and pulled her along so that she was stretched out full-length on top of him. "Has anyone ever told you that you were a saucy wench?"

"Not told me and gotten away with it." She sniffed disdainfully. "I'm no wench, _I'm_ a lady." Caryn frowned as he burst out laughing.

"Right…that was a _lady_ squeezing the hell out of my…"

"Uh, uh, uh…watch your language, there's a lady present."

He stared at her with his mouth open for a full minute…then he smiled slyly. "Okay, you're a lady…what a shame," he commented with obviously feigned regret as he grasped her buttocks and pressed her down against his arousal. "You're a lady and here I am very much in need of a wench."

Oh, he had her there…and _there_. She smiled at the sensation of his hardness pressing against her. "Hmm. Well, now. That _is_ a dilemma." Caryn let her eyes drift shut as she slowly rotated her hips against him. "What's that line from the Sinatra song? The Lady is a tramp?"

"No, never that. A vixen, perhaps."

"Hmm, I like that." Caryn squirmed as he ground up against her. "I like that, too. I take it I didn't wear you out last night?"

Jeff's rich chuckle made her shiver. "Not even close, sweetheart."

"Did you build up all that stamina in the breeding program?"

His expression blanked out. "Why did you bring that up?"

"Uh, I don't know. Curiosity, I guess." She frowned at the coldness that had filled his eyes. "I'm sorry, Jeff. I didn't realize you were so sensitive about it."

"I'm not."

"Could have fooled me, hon."

He sighed and shifted onto his side, taking her with him. "I was forced into the program…originally I was supposed to enter politics. But when they realized the reaction sapiens women had towards me, I was reassigned." He shook his head, his expression wry. "I thought it was great at first. It was my _duty _to seduce women and take them to bed. I was very successful at it. Then they decided I should be trained to attain more difficult targets."

"Like Keri Ashton?" she guessed.

"On that order, yes. Females who were difficult to reach because of their location or social position…or personal preferences."

"How do you train for something like that?"

"Hmm, well, you don't train for that, exactly. You train to fit into any place or situation." He fell silent for a moment, his expression distant. Finally his focus shifted back to her. "They sent me to Lewis for portions of the chameleon program training."

"Was it tough?"

"Tough isn't the word for it. Lewis is quite…demanding. It wasn't so much the training, though. It was the graduation exercise that was the problem."

Caryn frowned with concern as his eyes shifted away from her again. She wasn't really sure she wanted to know what he had been forced to do in order to 'graduate'. But if he needed to tell her… "What was the problem, hon? It's okay, you can tell me."

"Can I? I don't know. You'll never look at me the same way again. You're so…trusting. You believe I'm a good man."

"No, hon, I _know_ you're a good man. Nothing you could tell me would change that."

He blinked rapidly. "You think so? I'm not so sure." Jeff wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her cheek. "You mean so much to me."

"Hey, same here." She brushed back a lock of hair that had fallen on his forehead. "I promise, I won't judge."

His eyes held an almost lost look as he stared into hers and sighed. "I infiltrated a supposedly secure group by gaining the trust of those who were in charge of protecting it. Then I used the position I had obtained to assassinate a public figure."

... ...

Keri sighed as she finished the last of her oatmeal and put down her spoon. It was time to get to work. Not only did she still need to find out what Karl's problem was, Lewis wanted her to talk to Carla about Anja. Hmm, she thought. Karl and Carla…nah, it was a coincidence, nothing more. Her eyes narrowed as she remembered Lewis' suspicions about Carla's unusual enthusiasm in helping her surrogate sib. "She'd better not be thinking about hurting Anja," Keri muttered. "The hell with Lewis taking care of it…it's me she'll need to worry about."

She walked out the door and almost into Karl who had been reaching for the doorknob on the other side. "Who wants to hurt Anja?" he demanded. "Am I being left out of the loop again?"

"No. We're just being paranoid; probably no one wants to hurt her. Don't worry about it…if that should change, I'll let you know." When he didn't move, she looked up at him. Honest, Karl. We're just concerned about motives, there's no real threat that we know of…we didn't even bring anyone else in on it. It's still a family matter."

"I see." He frowned and still didn't move. "If you do find a threat, you'll let me know, correct?"

"Of course."

"How do you intend to discover this?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you ask too many questions?" she asked crossly.

Karl's smile was unexpected. "Yes. But my people expect it, it's my job."

"Um…" Keri hesitated, and then decided she had to ask. "If they expect it, why do they tell you that you ask too many questions?"

"They don't. That was Tracie."

Oh, good. He was bringing her up himself…the perfect opening. Keri took a step forward, tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow and tugged him toward the benches on the main lawn. "So, who is Tracie?"

He stopped moving. "No one."

"Oh no. You've got me curious now…and there's nothing more tenacious than a curious pregnant woman. Spill it, Karl. She's gotta be sapiens…or partially adapted since you aren't including her as one of your people, so tell me. Who is she, where did you meet her, and why did she tell you that?" She smiled at his appalled look. Throwing that 'pregnant' in there had reminded him of her status here. He started walking again with a sigh.

"Yes, she's sapiens," he began. Keri could pick up that the response was quite grudgingly given…and that Karl had some kind of feelings for this woman. Interesting. "I met her at Ft. Lewis when we were incarcerated there."

"She worked in their stockade?"

"Not exactly. She's a programmer who created and installed a new computer system for them." His words were flat, emotionless, but Keri could feel his pride at the woman's abilities.

"Oh. Guess she's pretty smart then, huh?" She suppressed a giggle as Karl's proud feeling spiked.

"Yes. Easily as intelligent as any of our computer specialists."

"Wow, that _is_ smart. So how did you meet her?"

"After a while, they granted some of us library privileges. Tom had told the company's commander that I could be trusted to keep my word, so when they realized I wasn't giving them any trouble, they decided my request for reading material was reasonable. I had three men that I felt I could depend on to not attempt an escape without my order to do so, and I vouched for them, so we were allowed in the library one at a time to select books for ourselves and the other men."

"They were really taking a chance."

Karl nodded. "I realize that. I could have easily escaped and freed my men, but I was sick of the war against the sapiens. Most of them have done nothing to deserve our enmity. And when I found out that a Chosen believed in coexistence…well, I thought I should wait and see what they would do with us." He gave her a sharp look and she could feel a spike of aggression and determination. "But if they had made any attempt to hand us over to the CIA, we would have broken out of there."

"Of course. God only knows what Dani would have done with you guys. I'm really glad she didn't get her hands on you." She pushed sincerity at him and smiled as she felt him accept it and relax. "So you met Tracie in the library. Was she working on the computers there?"

"Yes, I misunderstood the guard's introduction of her and thought she was a librarian. I became annoyed later when she seemed to be ignoring my questions."

"Seemed to be?" Keri frowned as she felt embarrassment from him.

"She jumped out of her chair when I touched her arm. I…well; I had no way to know she was deaf. She'd spoken to us earlier and her voice sounded normal."

"Oh. Maybe she lost her hearing recently? I guess she didn't see you speaking, so didn't know you were talking to her."

"Exactly…to both. She used to live in Hawaii and they evidently set off firecrackers for every holiday. She was too close during a New Year's celebration and had two thousand firecrackers go off practically in her ear. They were able to do a skin graft for the physical injuries, there aren't any really noticeable scars, but they were unable to restore her hearing."

Keri frowned. The embarrassment had faded, but Karl was still feeling disproportionately uncomfortable. "Is she pretty?"

"Hmm. No, she's beautiful. Very exotic…and tiny. Only about so high," he said, holding a hand up level with the tip of Keri's nose.

"Definitely short," she pronounced.

"Oh, no; don't call her short. She'd let you have it, but good. Fierce little thing." The pride was back…also disproportionate.

"So you like her…a lot." Keri sat down on the bench they had reached.

He dropped down to sit next to her, exhaling sharply. "Yes. Against all of my instincts and training…I…like her."

"I don't understand. What's wrong with…liking her? Jeff…likes Caryn. Tracie sounds like a very intelligent sapiens, so what's the problem?"

Karl rolled his eyes. "You know what my people do with defectives."

Keri's jaw dropped. "Even with people injured in accidents?"

"Yes, generally…depending on the nature of the disability. It's harsh, but our resources are limited and a person such as her would not be able to adequately protect themselves and would become a burden." Keri reached over and patted his arm. Karl was truly miserable about the whole thing.

"Well, she's sapiens, so that shouldn't apply," she told him. "Don't you want to see her again?"

Karl gave her a patient look. "She would not be accepted." That was definitely depression she was picking up from him.

"If you thought she'd be accepted, you'd have her brought here, wouldn't you?"

His face hardened. "In a minute."

"Well, then send for her."

"Miss Ash…"

"Keri."

He sighed. "Keri, she would not be accepted, even here."

"Bullshit." She chuckled as he blinked in surprise at her language. "I would accept her. And because I would accept her, Lewis would too. And who here is going to give her grief if _he_ accepts her?"

She felt hope building in him. "Not many, at least not openly."

"Well, that settles it. Talk to Jeff…he'll make the arrangements for you."

"But Mark…"

"Has no room to talk. He ordered Carla here to help Anja. If he had a problem with accepting defectives he'd be dead right now."

"What?" Ooops. She'd definitely alarmed him.

"Because of Anja; if he'd tried to do anything to Anja because she's defective, Lewis would have killed him for me."

"Oh. I see your point. It would be hypocritical if he objected to Tracie."

"Exactly. Now go find Jeff and tell him I sent you."

He stood, took a step, and hesitated. "Mi…uh, Keri?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Keri smiled happily. "My pleasure." One down and one to go, hopefully her conversation with Carla would go as well.

... ...

Anja grinned when she felt her sib approaching. She reached behind her and settled the pillows against the headboard and sat back against them. "So, did you hear?" she asked as Keri walked through the door.

"Yes, I heard. Are you okay with this? I know you didn't want to have to worry about getting pregnant again," Keri told her as she pushed at her to make her scoot over a bit, then sat on the side of the bed and gave her a hug.

"Uff. Squeeze me any harder and I won't need surgery. All my insides will come out the bottom."

"Oh, you. Guess you are okay with this if you can be so silly."

"Ja. You know what this means? I can still be council's courier and gather intelligence for the faction!"

Keri stared at her, obviously confused. Her nose was wrinkled and her mouth pursed up. "How in hell are you going to explain not being pregnant to Damien?"

"I tell him I had accident again and miscarried," Anja shrugged. "Too bad, so sad."

"Hey, brat, that's my line."

"Yes, and it's good one." Her sib started giggling then coughed as she tried to talk without stopping to take a breath. "Hey, careful," Anja told her.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." Keri took a deep breath then gave her a mischievous look. "Have you had any other visitors?" she asked.

Anja rolled her eyes. "You mean Mark? Yes. Man is idiot. Now he sad again because he thinks I won't want him because he's sterile. Damn it! I can't win with him." She shrugged, "I think I just give up on him. Karl is kind of cute. Don't think he's got much though."

"Doesn't have much what?"

"You know…" she gestured down. "Equipment-wise."

"Anja! That's not all that's important."

"No, not _all_, but it's important too. And don't say it's not, we all know Lewis has plenty." She grinned as her sib blushed at the reminder that over a dozen people had seen Lewis naked and half aroused after his reclamation.

"I wouldn't know," Keri mumbled. "I haven't been with enough men to make a comparison, and the few I was with were…uh…"

"Well equipped?"

Her sib's cheeks were now beet red. "Yeah. Well, the others weren't quite as uh…"

"Equipped?" Anja supplied again, enjoying Keri's inability to talk about the size of genitalia her lovers had had.

"Right…not as much as Lewis, but from what I understand, they were uh…"

"Equipped!"

"Damn it, will you stop saying that!" Anja laughed when Keri glared at her. "Ohhh, you're enjoying this. Ahem. They were…_equipped_…more than the average man…from what I understand."

Anja slid down off of the pillows, laughing helplessly. She grabbed one of them and used it as a shield as Keri hit at her playfully. "All right, all right, I stop!"

"Humph." Keri was still glaring at her when she peeked out from behind the pillow. She laughed and tossed it aside. "I'm glad you're amused," her sib muttered.

"Yes, thank you." She sat up and patted the spot beside her. Keri slid into place and draped an arm around her shoulders, then leaned forward so that Anja could do the same. Anja sighed and rested her cheek against her sib's shoulder. "Carla said there are risks."

"Did she now?" Keri said, for some reason seeming annoyed.

"Yes. Why, what's wrong?"

"Probably nothing. I'm just being paranoid…or rather, Lewis is being paranoid and has me fretting."

"Oh. I feel safe then."

"Huh?"

"If Lewis is paranoid about it, and you are worried, then I know you will both be looking out for me, so I'll be safe," she explained patiently.

"Oh. Yeah. You'll be safe or there'll be hell to pay…and Lewis may or may not get to play the devil."

"Go, Keri!" Anja chuckled. "Aw, you wouldn't deprive him of the fun of punishing someone, would you?"

"If something bad happened to you? Damn straight."

Anja reached around to give her sib a fierce hug. "Yeah. Me too."

**ELSEWHERE**

Randall made one more circuit of the room to make sure he'd left nothing behind that could identify him. Satisfied, he glanced at the bed that still held the sleeping sapiens female before he closed the door behind him. The deep red of his Porsche 911 was spotted from the rain that had fallen the night before, he noted with annoyance. He'd have to get it washed again. Shifting gears savagely, he pulled out of the parking lot and sped down Route 5.

An hour later he decided to take the next exit and get a meal…and the car washed. He pulled into a car wash business that advertised hand washing and waxing, made arrangements for their deluxe service and walked across the street to a Denny's. After finishing his meal, downing his grapefruit juice, and leaving a generous but not flashy tip on the table, he paid for his food and climbed back into his now pristine car. It was time to check in.

He drove to a mall parking lot and pulled into a stall on the edges of the occupied section. The number he needed was number two on his speed dial. Listening to the phone ring he impatiently drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.

"Yes."

"It's me," Randall responded. "I'm about halfway down Route 5 and I've found nothing."

"You're certain?" Damien asked.

"I've checked hospitals, medical clinics and last night I even managed to check with the CHP."

"Randall, that was risky."

"Not really. I met a young woman from their dispatch department. She checked the records for me."  
"I see," Damien said, his voice conveying the displeasure that Randall couldn't feel at this distance.

"Oh, you'll have to add her name to the database."

There were several long moments of silence before his uncle responded to the comment. "You know that we've ceased casual breeding. I won't tolerate…"

"Give me a break. I didn't do it intentionally; it was the best way to get information without arousing too many suspicions. And before you ask, I let her live because she'll be a good resource. The woman's a supervisor and has access to most of their online records."

"So you'll be continuing the…relationship?"

"Yeah. Not that it's any hardship; she was decent for a sapiens. Very fit and bright as well."

"We'll have to take the child as soon as it's weaned to avoid another disaster. If you can't gain her full compliance by then we'll have to forgo the resource and terminate her."

"No problem."

"There were no motorcycle accidents?"

"Yes, there were several, but no Jane Does and no one fitting Anja's description were on record."

"Keep checking the hospitals. It may have happened when she was off the highway for a rest stop."

Randall shook his head. "You might want to start considering the possibility that she's been turned."

"NO!" Randall nearly dropped the phone he was so startled by the vehemence in Damien's voice. "Captured perhaps, but never turned. She is mine," his uncle continued in a calmer tone. "And she knows it."

Damien was being an old fool over a young female, Randall decided. He would have to look into the possibility of Anja's defection himself to protect his family's reputation. "Fine, I'll keep checking the hospitals. I'll get back to you when I reach LA. Do you still want me to find Peterson while I'm there?"

"Yes. Inform him that his family is well…for the moment. Their continued good health will depend on his providing assistance in recovering my half-brother and Tom Daniels…and Lewis' mate."

"Mate? You didn't tell me about that."

"We finished interrogating Jane late last night. Apparently Lewis has recovered his memories, all of them, and has taken a new bond mate. Jane was unclear on whether the woman was sapiens or one of the partially adapted, but considering they've bonded, we suspect the latter. She was certain the woman was bearing Lewis' child."

"Damn. He's off limits then."

"No, we simply can't harm him, his mate, or their offspring. We can and will take custody of them."

"That's not what the law intends."

"Randall, you will cease to lecture me on points of law. I am the council chair, I _am_ the law."

"Yeah, right. Tell that to great-grandmamma. I think she'd have a few words to say about it."

"That meddling old woman is no concern at this point. She hasn't even bothered to check in with us for months. The only reason we know she still lives is that there's been no change in the remaining pillar…its energies are still under control."

"Still…"

"Enough, Randall. You try my patience. Just complete your assignment and report back to me." The background sounds were abruptly silenced when Damien broke the connection.

"What about _my_ patience, old man? You need to start thinking about that," Randall muttered snidely as he stowed the phone away and pulled back out onto the road.


	15. Chapter 15

"Oh mah Gawd," Caryn whispered, tears welling up in her blue-green eyes. Jeffrey closed his so that he wouldn't see the rejection that was sure to follow. "Ah am _so_ sorry," she said.

He released her and slid back a few inches on the bed. "It's all right. I can understand why you wouldn't want to associate with me further." Jeff tried to keep his tone as even and as matter-of-fact as possible, the last thing he wanted was for her to feel guilty for causing him pain.

"What? Oh for cryin' out loud, no, hon. Ah'm sorry that you had to do such a thing. It must have been just awful for you." Her arms slipped around his shoulders; his eyes flew open, then he allowed her to pull him close. "Ah know you didn't have any choice. Sloan was tellin' me some of the things Lewis made Tom do."

"I could have refused," he said quietly.

"Well, sure. But what would have happened to you if you had?"

Jeffrey thought back to his brief time at the chameleon program training facility. There had been one trainee, a sensitive like he was who had refused the graduation assignment. Russell had been given the choice of suicide or to accept programming that would 'help' him to conform. He'd chosen suicide. "I would have ended up like Tom, a drugged and programmed killing machine. The only other option was to take my own life."

"That's no real choice."

"Maybe not, but what right did I have to arrange for the death of an innocent just to ensure my own survival? I guess I didn't think much about it at the time, I just buried my doubts and did it." He sighed. "At least the death was supposed to look like an accident. I don't think I could have managed to just shoot someone, or kill them in an even more personal way if I weren't in direct danger from them."

"See, you're not a killer."

He shook his head. "But I am. By tampering with the car's accelerator I killed that woman just as surely as if I'd held a gun to her head and pulled the trigger. And let's not forget her companion and the driver…a little collateral damage there," he said bitterly.

Caryn gave him a puzzled look. "Uh, hon, who was it?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Sure you can. I won't be upset, I promise." She was calming down; her accent was quieting.

"No, I mean I _cannot._ Since I wasn't going to be a chameleon and didn't have their training to resist interrogation, they put a block on me so that I couldn't tell anyone who it was even if I were tortured for the information. They want the circumstances to remain a mystery…it will strain relations in the area."

"Ah see." The accent was thickening again. "But you can talk around it?"

"Yes. I'm blocked specifically on the names, the date, and the location. The less you need to block, the easier one is to set. The blocks that Tom and Lewis both had were extensive to a point that is dangerous…and all but unheard of even in the chameleon program." Jeffrey shrugged. "But they had no choice there if they wanted them alive and functional."

Caryn sighed and stroked back a wayward lock of his hair. "Your people have a lot to answer for. Not just for what they've done to mine, but for what they've done to their own." He smiled as she kissed him; her lips butterfly soft at the edge of his mouth. "It's…it's unconscionable."

"I agree. I couldn't see that when I was younger. It took their censure of me when I failed in an impossible assignment to make me actually question their methods, though. Our young are very well indoctrinated."

"Another crime." He felt a sudden spike of curiosity from her. "Jeff, do you have children? I mean, among your own people, not from an assignment."

He shrugged again. "Sure, somewhere. I've had several required pairings and a few voluntary ones. My DNA is considered…or _was_ considered highly valuable."

"Do you ever see them?"

"No. They belong to their mothers. The sire only has contact or rights over offspring if there is a mating bond or a formal agreement of mating. Casual and required pairings, which are where most of our children originate, are all but anonymous. The only reason the offspring are given their sire's identity and taught his genealogy is so they don't accidentally pair with someone who is too closely related."

"What's a formal agreement of mating?"

Jeffrey smiled. "It's similar to the sapiens' vows of marriage, but you don't need a certificate, just witnesses. And if the pair chooses to separate, they need only witnesses of their mutual declaration to do so. If they can't agree on custody of the offspring they've had together, they are put in fosterage and neither parent may have any further contact with them." His smile became wry. "Needless to say there are few instances where an agreement cannot be reached."

"I guess not." She nestled close and tucked her head into the curve where his neck met his shoulder.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" he asked.

"Sure. That was just an awful lot of information, you know. I've got to think about it."

"Oh. Um, would you rather not have me with you while…"

"Hell no. Ah want you right here, holdin' me." He closed his eyes in relief and held her close. She wasn't afraid of him, or appalled at what he'd done. His Caryn was a truly remarkable female.

... ...

Mark stared morosely out of his bedroom window. Anja had ordered him out of her sight, yet again. He couldn't blame her. For some reason he found it impossible to adequately shield his feelings when he was with her.

The phone rang and startled him out of his musings. Striding quickly to the desk in the corner of his sitting room, he answered. "Yes."

"This is Maria Fernandez."

"Hello, Maria. This is Mark. What's happened?"

There was silence on the other end for a few moments. "I…ah, ran into one of your people."

"A member of the faction?"

"No. Well, I sure don't think so. I didn't recognize him at first, stupid, I know."

He wondered why she thought it was stupid. Maria had no abilities that would allow her to differentiate between a dominant and one of her own kind. "Why don't you tell me what happened, from the beginning," he suggested.

"Okay. This fellow came into the department, claiming to be a psychiatrist looking for a missing patient. Said he thought she might have been in an accident. He was very charming, seemed to be for real, had business cards, the whole bit, said all the right things, so I searched the records for him. Didn't find anything. He thanked me, and then he asked if I'd have coffee with him when I got off."

"I take it you agreed?"

"Sure. He was good-looking, kind of sexy, and wasn't wearing a wedding ring…and acted like he was straight. You have any idea how rare that is any more?" she demanded

Mark bit his lip to hold back a less than diplomatic response. "Of course," he finally managed. "You had coffee with him…"

"Well, to make a long story short, I ended up in his motel room in bed with him. When I woke up this morning he had checked out. The room was paid for and all and he'd told them not to disturb me until official check out time. Even left me a note saying he'd give me a call once he'd found his patient."

"What does this have…"

"It had been bugging me; there was something familiar about him. So I pulled up all of the photos for this year and skimmed through them…and there he was!" Maria exclaimed.

"Who was it?"

"Randall Lynch," she said triumphantly.

Oh shit. How was he going to explain how she'd managed to have sex with a dead man? "Are you certain?"

"Of course. I had the prints he left on my desk lifted and run. For some reason his business card and note were clean. It was him. Don't you see? The body recovered wasn't really him; it was misidentified by the forensics team!"

Mark let his breath hiss out in relief. He would not have to double-talk her around the subject of clones. "I see. That is…disturbing news. Who was he looking for?"

"He didn't give me a name, said she always made names up so it wouldn't help. But he was looking for a young woman, about twenty years old, with wavy dark brown hair, dark gray eyes, and a Germanic accent. Said she'd probably be riding a Hayabusa motorcycle."

The council had finally noticed that Anja was missing. Not good. "Okay. Whatever you do, if he contacts you again, don't let him know you've recognized him. Call him by whatever name he had on the business card and sound happy to hear from him. And do not, under any circumstances, give him any reason to suspect you've told anyone about his inquiries. Doing so would be quite dangerous."

"Got it. Should I call you if I hear from him?"

"Absolutely." He frowned as he tried to remember who was in her area. "Maria, I can't promise you anything at this point, but I'm going to try and get someone to your town…so that they're within reach to help you if he comes back. When I can get someone in place, I'll give you a number to contact him or her directly. Understand?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure," she said, strain noticeable in her voice. "You know, you're kind of scaring me here."

"I intend to. He's very dangerous, Maria. Don't go anywhere alone with him again for any reason. He wouldn't hesitate to kill you if he has the slightest suspicion that you know who…or even _what_ he is."

... ...

Carla looked up from the ultrasound film when she felt Keri approaching. The woman was agitated; evidently Lewis had informed his mate of her arrival and the intended surgical procedure. "Good morning, Keri," she greeted as Keri entered the lab.

"Hi, Carla. I hear you're going to be trying something new on my sib," she said, coming right to the point. Carla liked that about the sapiens female, she was quite forthright.

"Yes. I felt it would address all of our challenges with this situation. You seem…ill at ease about it. Is there something I can clarify for you?"

Keri's jaw dropped slightly, but she recovered quickly. "Wow. I forgot how gifted you are. Most of the people here can't read me that well. I guess that comes in handy for you as a physician, huh?"

"Yes," she agreed. "I can often diagnose a condition based on the patient's aura. Now, what is it that's bothering you?"

"I don't much care for invasive surgeries. I mean, a D and C is a simple procedure…well, in us sapiens, at any rate, and a tubal ligation is endoscopic so they're no big deal. But we're talking about major surgery here!"

For all Keri Ashton's education and abilities, she really was a simple sort, Carla mused. "I admit, it's something untried as a whole, but each of the individual procedures is quite common in addressing injuries to otherwise healthy females of breeding age. We should be successful. Shall I go over our surgical plan with you? Perhaps it will set your mind at ease."

Keri shuddered. "No thanks. I hated anatomy. It makes me queasy to even think about it…especially now," she said, holding her stomach.

"Morning sickness already?" Carla chuckled. "Ah well, the earlier it starts, the earlier you're likely to get past it."

"I sure hope so, this is nasty." Keri sat down on one of the stools across from her, leaned on the counter and rested her chin on her folded hands. "Maybe you could clear something else up for me, though."

"If I can."

"I was talking to Karl. He was concerned about the security problems that could crop up if we brought a sapiens computer expert here who was deafened in an accident with firecrackers. He told me that your people would consider her defective and a burden, and would likely terminate one of your own who found themselves in that position. Is that really true?"

"Generally, yes. It would depend on other things, though. You've said this person is a computer expert. If they were capable of teaching…passing on their knowledge, they would likely be taken to live out their productive years in a secure environment where students could be sent to them. Otherwise, yes, they would be terminated."

"Oh. Wow." Lewis' mate chewed her lower lip pensively. "Well, what if it were something that didn't affect their ability to protect themselves?"

Hmm, she'd evidently been quite disturbed at Karl's revelation. Ah well, she was a soft touch, after all. She'd freed Lewis; someone she knew was a dangerous enemy, simply because her own people had abused him. "Well, Keri, that would depend on the circumstances as well. Let's take Anja's case…or rather Anja's case, as it will be presented to the faction at large. A defect resulting from an accident that does not otherwise impair one's ability to contribute to our society would be tolerated. Because of the nature of this defect, she would have been pitied, but tolerated because of her abilities."

"But that wouldn't be the case if it were known that she had a congenital defect, I take it?"

Carla took a deep breath. Now they were entering tricky ground. Keri's empathic abilities were strong; it wouldn't do to allow her to see how disturbed she was over this. Carla carefully reinforced her shields before answering. "No, that wouldn't be the case. With a congenital defect, the defective is terminated so that they do not pass it on to offspring."

Keri's expression grew troubled and Carla could feel her mounting distress. "What if they already had offspring…and what if they didn't ever want to have any more?"

Oh, good incisive questions. She'd evidently been thinking about this very carefully. "Unfortunately, the fact that someone doesn't want to have more offspring doesn't mean that they won't. And their DNA is still available for other uses, such as cloning. Under normal circumstances this person must be terminated to ensure the defective genes are not propagated."

"Oh," Keri said in a small voice. "And their children?"

"The existing offspring must be terminated as well; their continued existence would defeat the purpose of terminating the defective parent." Keri's eyes closed. Carla watched a shiver pass through her. Finally her eyes opened, wet with unshed tears.

"So why are you helping Anja?" she asked quietly.

Ah, here was the crux of the matter. Keri would likely know she was lying if she told her that she did not agree with the practice. She chose her words carefully. "Because Mark has ordered it. He is my section leader and I accept his decision that Anja is too valuable to lose and that she would lose a good part of her value if she were sterilized."

"What about Anja's children?"

Carla shook her head. "I could hardly report them as the offspring of a defective without revealing Anja's status."

"But you think they should die."

"Yes. For the good of the gene pool, I believe they should be terminated." She allowed her conviction to show, that wouldn't affect Keri's sib, so it was safe to do so.

Keri shook her head, her disbelief plain to read. "You know, even without the coexistence faction, your council's plan was doomed to fail. You're a doctor, a healer, and even you have no compassion for the helpless. And none of you seem to understand that compassion doesn't make you weak, it makes you infinitely stronger. I…you'd probably be pleased if there were complications in the surgery and Anja died, wouldn't you?" she hissed.

Carla tried to hold back her alarm. Keri had jumped to exactly the right conclusion. "I, ah, can't argue that some part of me would not regret her loss. But I would have failed in my duty to the faction and that would be unacceptable."

"Oh, no big deal, maybe you could pin it on Ed. Make it look like he made a mistake." Carla kept herself from taking a step back from the sapiens' verbal attack only from sheer force of will. "Well, it won't work," Keri continued, her voice growing cold and hard. "I'll be watching you and Lewis will be watching you."

The latter was a threat she'd normally take seriously. "Lewis owes me his life, and he always pays his debts. He won't harm me over this," she said, letting her confidence show. Keri glared back at her, eyes narrowing to silver slits. Carla frowned suddenly as she felt a distinct vibration and a rack of test tubes on the counter started clinking in their holders. She stared around the room, noticing other items shaking. "I didn't think Fresno had earthquakes," she said, reaching out to steady her glass of ice tea as the test tubes and other items crashed to the floor. She froze in place when she realized there was no longer any ice in the drink…she'd added six cubes of it from the lab's freezer not more than fifteen minutes ago.

"It doesn't," Keri snapped out and turned on her heel. She'd barely touched the door when it slammed outward explosively.

Carla swallowed and walked to the doorway to watch Keri stomp down the stairs. The door into the garage also exploded outward at the woman's mere touch. As it closed she noticed the shaking had stopped. She stared around the room in shock, then returned to the counter and cautiously dipped a fingertip in what now proved to be tepid tea. "What in creation?" she breathed.

... ...

Lewis looked up as Keridwen burst into the study, interrupting his conversation with Mark about the danger to his collaborator in the CHP. "What's wrong, cherished?" he asked as he felt the mixture of her rage, fear, and sadness wash over him. He stood and held out his arms to catch her as she literally threw herself at him.

"I talked to Carla," she sniffed.

Ah. His suspicions must have been confirmed. "And what did you find out, my own?" He guided her over to the sofa, sat down and held her close against his chest as she shuddered in reaction.

"Would you like some privacy?" Mark asked quietly.

"Cherished? This concerns Mark, does it not? Do you mind if he stays?"

"Stay," Keridwen mumbled against his neck. Lewis looked up to see Mark nod and settle back in his seat.

He stroked Keridwen's hair, not questioning her further, knowing that she needed to settle down and regain her balance before she would be able to relay her findings accurately. His mate tended to get caught up in her emotions…this would be problematic if she weren't aware of her failing and didn't work to avoid consequences of it. It was only a moment or two before she looked up at him and took a deep breath. "Okay now?" he asked.

"Yes." She looked over at Mark. "I'm sorry for interrupting like that. It was rude, but I was _so_ angry I really needed Lewis right away." She looked back at him. "I think maybe I broke the doors to the lab…and maybe some of the breakables inside it. Sorry," she said, wincing.

His eyebrows shot up. "What did you do, start throwing things?" he asked, only half teasing.

"No. When I get really, _really_ angry, things kind of happen." She took a deep shuddering breath and let it out slowly. "And I haven't been so angry in ages. Except with that bitch, Dr. Lam, at Dani's facility," she clarified.

Lewis frowned, he'd been in a great deal of pain at the time, and hadn't been quite sure how Keridwen had managed to slam a black belted martial artist, even if they were a slightly built female, face first into the wall with enough force to break her nose and give her a serious concussion. "Did your home by chance have poltergeist activity when you were a child?" Did his mate have some kind of stress-triggered telekinetic ability?

She gave him an exasperated look. "They knew better than to blame it on a poltergeist," she said. "Remember, this stuff runs in the family."

"I see." This would bear further investigation…but later, much later. He stroked her cheek and ran his thumb over her full lower lip. "Ready to tell us what happened now?"

Keridwen nodded and settled back against the sofa tucking into his left side in the process. His mouth curved up into a smile at the familiar action. "She's only helping with this because Mark ordered her to find a way to help Anja that would allow her to keep working for them. Otherwise she would be right on the bandwagon with those that feel defectives like Anja should be terminated…and not just them, but their children too."

"Hmm. She does realize that reporting Anja's offspring would compromise both Anja and the faction?"

"Yes. She said so. But I'll bet if she found some other way to manage getting them killed she'd do it." Keridwen shook her head angrily.

"You can't worry about that, my own. We have no way of ensuring their safety. Anja wouldn't even know where they are at this point, and likely doesn't care."

"Lewis!"

"It's true, and you know it. Don't be angry with her over her apathy. You need to remember that Anja didn't want the pregnancy; she was only fulfilling a required duty. Required childbearing only rarely results in any ties between the mother and offspring, this is normal," he explained patiently. "And if the offspring are immediately fostered, as Anja's were, she has no further responsibility towards them; even contact with them is strongly discouraged if not outright prevented."

"I guess. Anyway, that's not the worst of it."

"It can get much worse?" Mark asked from across the room.

Keridwen looked up at him. "I'm afraid so. Carla wasn't actually planning to do anything to sabotage the operation, but if complications had arisen, she would have allowed Anja to die."

Mark stared back at them, his shock plain to read. "Carla has always been loyal to the faction; she's put herself at risk over and over again for the cause of coexistence. I don't understand."

"This isn't about the faction, or about coexistence. You may command a person's loyalty to a cause, but you cannot change any of their deep-set convictions that do not directly oppose that cause. Well, not without intense programming," Lewis qualified, thinking of Tom's aversion to killing other than in self-defense or in direct defense of someone he was protecting.

"You're right, of course. I was being naïve, I suppose."

"A bit, but you're new to leadership, you'll learn." He frowned as he realized he was encouraging the leader of a cause he did not embrace. He looked askance at his mate; this was surely her fault. "What we need to do at this point is ensure that Carla is not tempted to follow her convictions."

"Humph." Keridwen folded her arms across her chest and glared off into space. "I think I've already put the fear of _me _into her," she muttered darkly.

Lewis couldn't help it; the intimidating look on his otherwise gentle mate's face was priceless. He started laughing and had to choke it off as she elbowed him in the ribs. "I'm sorry, my own. But I can't picture anyone fearing you…well, not in a strong enough manner…" he trailed off as he realized he was offending her. "Cherished, you are normally so gentle that it's hard to reconcile this…rather aggressive anger with your compassionate nature."

She sighed. "Maybe she won't stay scared enough to stick with the program, then. I guess you're going to have to put the fear of you in her."

"I'll have a word or two with her."

"You know, she thinks you're not a threat because you owe her your life."

"What? I don't owe her my life. I owe _you_…thrice over."

"Well, she did tell me what to do for the reclamations. I wouldn't have been able to help you if she didn't. You'd have been dying and all I could have done was hold you and cry," Keridwen said miserably.

"Still, it was you who saved me. It seems to me that all I owe her is instructions on how she can save her own life," he told her.

"Ohhh that is a _nasty_ smile, love. Good. She deserves a bit of nasty. Did I tell you she actually thought she was hiding things from me? I mean, give me a break…the woman thinks I'm…some kind of poser."

"Poser?"

"A poser," she said glancing over to where Mark was sitting with his head in his hands looking dazed, "is someone who…"

"I know what it is, cherished. The term simply sounded odd coming from you."

"Oh." She looked at Mark again. "Mark, are you okay?"

He lifted his head. "I'm wondering who else I've misjudged. I may have endangered the entire faction."

"No. You can trust Carla when it comes to the faction, she really does believe in coexistence. She just believes in genetic perfection, or something stupid like that."

Lewis raised an eyebrow. "Genetic perfection is not stupid, my own. It's a worthy goal."

"Bullshit. Didn't you see Gattaca? The moral was that there is no gene for the human spirit…you know, imperfect people try harder and succeed more. Besides, if everyone were perfect, the world would be a very boring place."

... ...

Karl glanced over at the barracks building and its medical facility where Anja was undergoing her operation. He didn't need to be there, in spite of the risk to the courier. Lewis was handling it. Dr. Richard's cowed expression when he had escorted Dr. Bowman to the operating theater had assured him that she would not allow harm to come to her patient. Lewis confided to him that he'd 'instructed' the woman that her survival depended on Anja's. Karl allowed a reluctant grin to emerge. He knew that Lewis wouldn't kill the only dominant physician the faction had on the west coast as she would be needed to assist in the birth of Keri's child…but Carla had been convinced otherwise.

On the whole, the day was going well. Jeffrey had finally emerged from his suite and he'd told him about Tracie. Mark's lieutenant had been quite relieved to hear the whole story and had almost eagerly agreed to arrange for her to be escorted here. Karl had been given leave to go to the University student affairs center where there were TDD equipped pay phones so that he could ask Tracie if she'd like to come and set dates and times for her to meet her escort. But first he needed to finish his afternoon rounds.

He made his way through stacked building materials to the renovation work on the previously crumbling fourth house on the property. The construction team was making excellent progress. When he'd agreed to allow them to use the building as a new lab and medical facility, Lewis had mandated that the work be completed before his wedding…he did not want his mate's special day marred by the sounds or sight of the construction. Karl stopped just outside of the work area and waited for the foreman to come to him. Roger was his equivalent in status, and he had no right to intrude on his worksite without his permission unless there was an emergency, even if they had begun to develop what the sapiens called 'friendship'. "You'll be done by next Saturday?" he asked.

"We'll be done by Wednesday if we have no more interruptions," Roger boasted. "The exterior is completed, and we have the frames in place for the interior walls. The plans were excellent and quite easy to follow."

"Another of Lewis' many talents."

"Is there anything he doesn't do?" the foreman asked. "You knew him, didn't you? Before he joined us, I mean."

"He hasn't joined us…not really. Lewis is tolerating our presence and indulging his mate, no more. As to his repertoire of competencies, I believe major surgery is beyond him," he offered dryly. "Oh, and singing. You do _not_ want to hear him sing."

Roger chuckled. "Ah well, then. His impending offspring are out of luck in that department…I've _heard _his mate's attempts to sing." He shuddered at the memory. "It's good to know that there's something he doesn't excel at. Some of the workers act like he's some kind of god."

"My soldiers do as well and I'm certain Lewis encourages that belief." He shrugged. "To his chameleons, he _was_ god, so I suppose it comes naturally."

"I've often wondered what it would like to have that kind of power. Not that I could even imagine…I have leadership abilities, but not the alpha nature to expand upon them."

Karl turned and looked over to the barracks building where he knew Lewis was standing watch over Anja's surgery. "I don't know, Roger, and I'm not sure I want to. From what I've seen, that kind of power is a burden. Everyone wants a piece of you." He turned back to his…his friend. And I'm certain I do _not_ wish that level of responsibility." He nodded towards the construction workers. "They see him as a god…and they will expect more out of him than mortal man is capable of…even one like Lewis."

... ...

Keri sat in the study with Mark, both of them nervously awaiting the results of Anja's surgery. She'd wanted to be there, to help keep an eye on Carla, but Lewis had told her that she was distracting him. Since he was much more experienced at recognizing duplicity and also knew enough about anatomy and surgical procedures to be able to tell if there was any purposeful 'mistakes', Keri had reluctantly agreed to wait back in the house.

At least Mark had something to work on, she grumped silently. She looked down at the book she was largely ignoring. Her stomach was growling. Between her worry for Anja and her nausea, she hadn't been able to eat anything more than a few crackers so far today. "I'm going to the kitchen and see if there are any lunch leftovers," she announced. "Do you want anything while I'm there?"

Mark looked up from his computer. "No, thank you. I…couldn't possibly eat anything at the moment."

"I hear ya," she said. "I'm not sure what I'll be able to eat myself, but I'm starving!"

A reluctant grin emerged. "You should be. You bolted from the table at lunchtime…and I'll bet you didn't eat any breakfast either."

"You'd win that bet," she told him ruefully. "Ah, the joys of pregnancy. I'm rapidly remembering why I never wanted to do this." She stood and stretched before heading out the door. "It's all Lewis' fault," she called over her shoulder.

The head cook looked up as she entered the kitchen. "You are hungry now, yes?" Rosa asked with a knowing look.

"Yes. Starving."

"Ah, that's normal. You're nearly a month along. It's a sign that all is as it should be."

"Well, I just kind of wish I'd be abnormal in that one thing. It's the pits."

... ...

Sloan rolled over on the bed, frowning when she realized she was alone in it. She propped herself up on an elbow and looked through the open door to the sitting room. No sign of Tom. Groaning as she struggled to the edge of the king-sized mattress, she sat up and closed her eyes to concentrate. She felt a slight 'tug' to her left. "Ah ha. Gotcha," she muttered and gingerly stood and walked to the bathroom.

She pushed the door open and smiled as the steam escaped. Tom pulled the curtain back a bit, returning her smile when he saw her leaning against the doorframe. "Good afternoon," he said. "I thought you'd need more rest."

"Well, I guess I was lonely. Got room in there for me?" He frowned, and on the edge of her consciousness she could feel a glimmer of concern. "Hey," she said excitedly. "I felt that!"

"Did you?" he smiled, pushed the shower curtain back and held out his hands to her. She crossed the room and slid into his embrace. "That's wonderful, Sloan," he murmured in her ear. "Our bond is growing stronger."

"Is that what it is? I didn't know that would do anything for my abilities."

"Hmm." He took her hands in his and moved back so that she had room to step over the high edge of the tub. "It doesn't," he clarified. "Not really. You can feel me through the bond and as it strengthens you'll be able to pick things up from me more easily. But I don't think you'll be able to do this with anyone else."

"Oh." She tried to hide her disappointment, smiling as she felt his sympathy.

"It doesn't matter," he told her. "You are my mate, and you're perfect for me."

Sloan chuckled and wrapped her arms around him. Her body was pressed full length against him. She tilted her head back so that she could look him in the eye. "Well, you're just perfect, period," she told him, then laughed again as she felt his dismay over the lavish praise. "So, are you going to wash me, or what?" she asked.

His eyebrows rose and his head tilted to the side. "Hmm, wash you, I suppose. I don't think you could take any more of the _or what_."

Her smile turned rueful as he began to soap her back. "I know, but…"

"No, Sloan. As much as I'd enjoy it, at this point you would not." He placed his hands on her hips and turned her to face the tiled wall behind them. "Lean here," he told her. Once she'd complied he massaged her soapy back with long firm strokes, kneading out the slight soreness that lingered there.

"Mmm, that's wonderful," she breathed, then began to moan as he moved down to massage her still aching thighs. "Have I told you lately that I love you?" she asked rhetorically.

"Yes, about four hours ago."

She chuckled at his 'oh so serious' tone. "Not recently enough." His hands were working on her inner thighs now. She gasped as his fingers brushed her pubis.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

Sloan shuddered. "Tom Daniels, if you thought I was feeling pain, you need to work on your sensing." She glanced over her shoulder and saw him crouched behind her, his mouth slightly open in apparent surprise. "Do it again," she ordered imperiously.

He stood and moved in behind her to press his erection against her backside. "Sloan, we don't have to do this. The imperative is gone, this is just a normal arousal, I can control it."

Moaning, she wriggled her hips and ground herself back against him. "Tom, trust me, we _have_ to do this." She gasped as he swiftly turned her, lifted her up, pressed her against the wall, and thrust inside her in one smooth, uninterrupted motion. "Oh, God, yes." Her arms locked over his shoulders and she wrapped her legs around his hips.

His blue-gray eyes were hot with desire as he slipped one hand beneath her to better support her weight and moved back from the wall. "Slo-oan," he ground out. "You are…you are everything to me." He began to thrust up into her, both hands now on her buttocks, lifting and lowering her onto his hardness.

She whimpered as the friction became painful, but continued to hold him close, urging him on with whispered words and hot kisses pressed into his neck and shoulders. Her insides were beginning to clench already, and she could feel the orgasm building. Tom was moaning as he continued to plunge into her swollen flesh and his mouth was seeking the still raw scar over her jugular. Her shriek as he bit down on it made him pause, and he pulled back to look into her eyes.

"Sloan?"

"Oh, God, Tom…don't stop now, please!" He nodded and resumed his fierce assault on her sex. His teeth closed again on the scar, nipping it gently this time. She moaned, twisting her hips in reaction to the heat that flared between her neck and her vagina, then laughed as he growled and pressed her back against the wall to thrust harder. Her laugh was choked off as she began to lose her focus and buck in reaction to the explosion of pleasure radiating through her core.

... ...

Mark glanced up from the report he'd been pretending to work on for the past two hours. Keri was sitting straight up in her chair and had taken on a listening posture. Suddenly her face brightened and she all but leapt to her feet, nearly dumping her plate of quartered apples and chunks of cheese.

"I think everything's okay," she said, sounding excited. "Lewis is kind of calling me, and he feels really positive. I'm going to go over there and see what's up."

He nodded. "Phone me when you know for certain, if you will."

"Don't be silly. You should come with me. Just don't act sad, okay? You'll have Anja thinking you're an idiot for sure."

His jaw dropped. Mark wasn't certain if he should be offended by the implied insult or not. He discarded at least three different responses before saying honestly: "I can't help it. She means so much to me and I know she will never truly be mine."

Lewis' mate stopped short on her way to the door and turned back. She was shaking her head. "On second thought, you don't have to worry about Anja thinking you're an idiot. I _know_ you are." She walked over to the desk and planted both hands down on the other side of it, staring him in the eye. He could feel a mixture of disgust and exasperation in Keri's aura, which told him that she meant for him to know what she was feeling. "Don't be an ass…well, not any more than you have to be, being male and all. Anja's crazy about you. She's only playing games with these other men because you won't give her what she really wants…_you_."

He sighed. Keri didn't understand. "Keri, I can't give her children, I'm not…"

"Damn it!" she shouted and pushed back from the desk. He flinched reflexively then stared up at her in surprise. Folding her arms across her chest she glared at him. "Why do you think being fertile is the be all and end all of a successful relationship? Hell, I didn't really want to have children. I'd still love Lewis even if he hadn't been able to get me pregnant. Shit, I'd probably love him even more."

"But you wouldn't have bonded with him," Mark told her quietly.

She stared at him, sighing deeply. "That would have been a shame, but I'd still love him even without a bond. And you know what? From what he's told me, I think he'd have fallen in love with me, too. He said that before he bonded with me, he was trying to rationalize to himself reasons to keep me with him."

"What good would that have done? You would have eventually triggered his memories and he would have died. He could not have been reclaimed without the bond."

"Oh for…Mark! You don't have any blocked memories so that doesn't matter for you and Anja. I hear that there are thousands of couples that are life-mated. They're doing just fine and dandy without a bond. And don't you start," she warned, "telling me that Anja might want to have children again some day. That's bullshit. The only reason she agreed to this surgery instead of them just tying her tubes is so that she could still do under…uh, covert work for the faction. She just doesn't have any motherly urges. Jeez, get with the program, will you?"

If only that were true…he broke off the thought as Keri smacked her hand flat down on the desk in front of him. Her glare and raised eyebrow told him that she knew exactly what he was thinking. "You're certain?"

"No, I'm making it up to torture you," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "She's my sib, of _course_ I'm certain. Now get off of your damned ass and come to the medical unit with me."

He stood, nodded, and then followed her to the other building. Lewis met them at the door to the surgical unit. Mark watched, fighting down a mixture of amusement and envy as Keri threw herself into her bond mate's arms and hugged him fiercely. It was a good thing Lewis was a dominant, he decided. If Keri threw herself at a sapiens male of Lewis' build with such enthusiasm, she'd perpetually be knocking them over. He suppressed the amusement as Lewis looked up sharply. "Did all go well?" he asked, forcing his voice to be calm.

"Yes. It was a textbook perfect operation. I'm quite impressed with Carla's talent as a surgeon," Lewis admitted.

"And?" Keri prompted.

Lewis frowned down at the top of her head and sighed. "I am also impressed with Drs. Bowman and Tate," he said reluctantly. "They assisted most ably, even with the stress of knowing they had to oversee the primary surgeon and recognize any potentially harmful actions."

"See, that wasn't so hard to say," Keri teased, reaching up to kiss his jaw.

"Wasn't it, cherished?"

"No, it wasn't," she informed him in a firm voice.

Mark had to turn away. He might be able to suppress the actual laugh, but keeping a straight face was too much of a struggle, forget being able to bury the emotion. He was not able to suppress a startled reaction when he heard Lewis' voice hiss in his ear. "Laugh it up, _arbiter_," he said, making it a slur. "I look forward to when my mate's sib is on her feet again. You won't know what hit you."

He turned back in time to see Keri disappear through the door to the room that had been designated as a recovery area. Lewis was glowering at him…not a good thing. "My apologies," he told the former chameleon master. "Actually, I envy you your good fortune."

Lewis' left eyebrow shot up. "As well you should." He glanced at his mate's retreating form. "Anja did not specify that you should be kept away," Mark was told. "You should take advantage of that and go sit with her."

"Yes," Mark agreed. "Thank you." He hurried after Keri and took the chair opposite the one Lewis' mate had claimed on the right side of Anja's bed. He swallowed as he looked at the still form covered by crisp snow-white sheets.

Keri reached out to gently brush her sib's hair back off of her forehead. She smiled and looked up at Mark. "She's resting comfortably, as they say. And she knows I'm here. Why don't you hold her hand? I think she'd be happy to know that you're here too. Just make sure you keep a positive attitude, okay?"

He swallowed. "Ah, perhaps I'd better not. I don't want to disturb her rest if I can't control my reaction."

"Oh for heaven's sake," she said crossly. "You're not just an idiot, you're a pathetic one."

His eyes closed as he fought down the anger that rushed through him. Keri Ashton might be important to the faction, but she was becoming a royal pain in the ass…and when had she become such a bitch? He looked up as an odd feeling penetrated his shields. Keri's eyes reflected the sympathy he was now feeling from her. He swallowed. Ah, not such a bitch after all, he mused. Obviously she was trying to prod him out of his inaction. He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Keri. But I truly feel that she would be better served to care for another." He reached out to briefly cup Anja's cheek, then stood and leaned over her to lightly kiss her forehead. "Tell her how pleased I am that it went well," he asked as he left, closing the door behind him.

**ELSEWHERE**

"What do you mean nothing was there?" Damien had asked. "How did they know to abandon their base?" His men's response had infuriated him. Jane had betrayed them, just as she had betrayed her blood. He'd advised the council not to trust her, but the vote had been otherwise unanimous, and therefore impossible for him to override. He snarled as he strode down the hallway to the interrogation room.

She looked up wearily as he entered. "Is it over?" she asked. "Do you have them?"

He frowned. Even now she dissembled. "How could we have them, Jane, when you have sent my men on a fool's errand?"

"What do you mean? Didn't they find the building? I was certain that I'd pinpointed the location."

"Oh, we found the building you described. It was empty. Do you have something to tell me?"

Jane folded her hands in her lap. "They must have suspected me. Lewis was acting rather strangely. I suppose they realized that their location was compromised. Lewis wouldn't take any chances on his bond mate's safety, especially in her condition."

The bond mate story again. Damien was beginning to wonder if that too was a fabrication. "Do you think us fools, Jane? They were never at that location. The building held a shelter for abused women and children until two weeks ago. What else have you lied about? Where can I find Lewis and Tom? I want the truth."

He frowned as her expression blanked. "In the ruins," she said.

"What ruins?"

"When the army helicopters came, Lewis urged us to take shelter from the strafing in the ruins."

Damien glanced back at the guard. "Sounds like she's talking about Oaxaca, sir," Jorge said.

"Obviously. Has she sounded irrational before this?"

"No sir."

He turned back to Jane, deciding that he would see where this was leading. "You, Lewis and Tom were taking cover in the ruins."

"No. I took cover in the ruins with Tom, Timothy, and Mary at Lewis' insistence while he returned to Marjorie and his offspring."

Only three of Jane's offspring sired by Daniel. "What happened to Jason?"

"He'd been caught in the strafing and fell."

"He was dead?"

She shrugged. "No, Tom wanted us to carry him, but he was dead weight. I insisted we leave him behind." Jane sat silently for a moment before continuing. "After all, he wasn't Chosen."

Perhaps not, Damien thought. But the child's bloodline had been impeccable. "But you had Mary with you? Why didn't she escape with you and her brothers? What happened to her?"

"The soldiers took her."

"What soldiers?"

"The two that entered our shelter. She panicked, pulled away from her brothers and ran out into the main room. They found her there. I had to restrain Tom from following her."

"They killed her, then."

Jane shrugged again. He forced down his anger at her indifference. "They raped and sodomized her. She bled to death." Shaking her head, Jane demanded: "Can you imagine, Tom wanted to risk us by going to her. I actually had to _physically _restrain him."

Damien clenched his fists. No wonder Tom had been traumatized. The only question was why was Jane telling them this now? Stalling for time, perhaps? No. Her 'mistake' in the location of Lewis' refuge and her momentarily blank expression suddenly made sense. She'd been programmed to make a confession when she was questioned about the error in the location. The word 'truth' must have been the trigger. "Do you have any other truths to tell me?" he asked.

"Yes. When I detained Tom for the questioner, I kissed him when I delivered the sedative."

Damien frowned. Jane wouldn't have been programmed to confess an act of affection used to disguise the injection of a drug. That meant…no. "Kissed him. Explain. Did you have the sedative on your lips?"

"No. I affixed a puncture device to my tongue, and applied it inside his mouth." Jane sighed. "He reminds me so much of his father," she said. "As did Timothy. But Tom has his sire's temperament, so stubborn. My Timothy was such an obedient son. He saw to my needs."

He took an involuntary step back. With the strength of his abilities there was no question what she had meant by that. Despite his memory blocks and having to literally grow up in the chameleon program; Tom may have been the fortunate one. Damien looked over toward the video panel, a standard feature of their interrogation rooms, then at the silent guard. The man nodded, the interview was being filmed. He looked a bit green. He too had understood what Jane had implied. Looking back at the female, Damien told her: "Continue."

_The story continues in "Mating Games"_


End file.
